As family and friends mourn a 37-year-old Richmond, BC woman killed in a deadly midair collision between two sightseeing planes, a team of US accident investigators remain in Alaska, piecing together what happened.
Elsa Wilk was among six people killed after two float planes collided Monday afternoon just after 1pm near the town of Ketchikan.
Investigators believe both planes were attempting to land when the collision occurred.
One plane carried 10 people and a pilot, the other 4 passengers and a pilot.
Four of the 10 injured were flown to a Seattle hospital for treatment.
Six patients are listed in good or fair condition in the PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center. Three have since been treated and released.
The Coast Guard searched to waters yesterday in the region where the small crafts went down.
The passengers were from the cruise ship Royal Princess that departed Vancouver on Saturday.
Ian Robertson the Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, says with excursions of this nature, the pilots would be seasoned professionals, and the safety standards of the airline involved would be up-to-date.
"The cruise industry is a tight-knit community, so when something like this happens, it affects all of us."
Robertson says he has reached out to colleagues in Ketchikan to provide support.
The US National Transportation Safety Board says weather conditions may have played a role in the crash.