Strong winds and other adverse weather conditions likely contributed to the deadly float plane crash that killed three tourists at Little Doctor Lake near the Nahanni National Park, says the plane's operator.

SA国际影视传媒淟ittle Doctor Lake is probably SA国际影视传媒� one of the hardest places to fly on floats because the current is going one way and the wind is going the other. We can get some huge waves here in a matter of ten minutes,SA国际影视传媒� said Simpson Air owner Ted Grant in an interview Friday.

Grant said quick-changing weather offers challenges to pilots navigating the area.

SA国际影视传媒淥ften we'll get winds in two different directions and that's what makes it really difficult,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

He believes heavy wind gusts likely played a role in the plane's crash.

Geoffrey Dean, 33, of Castor, Alta., Stewart Edelman, 72, of Saskatoon, Sask. and Jean Edelman, 72 of Saskatoon, Sask., died after the Simpson Air Cessna 206 float plane they were flying in crashed on the evening of Aug. 16.

The plane was coming in for a routine landing at Little Doctor Lake, located between the Nahanni National Reserve Park and Fort Simpson, having returned from a tour of Virginia Falls.

Two women, a passenger from Alberta and the plane's pilot, came away from the accident uninjured.

In an emotional post added to Facebook, Geoffrey Dean's widow, Louella Dean, shared a smiling photo of her late husband.

SA国际影视传媒淢y heart is broken. My wonderful, kindhearted, patient, selfless, love of my life husband put me before himself for the last time. Forever in my heart,SA国际影视传媒� read the post.

Edmonton-based investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) arrived at the scene of the crash last Tuesday. Investigators collected information and interviewed witnesses. Grant said TSB members left the scene Thursday, bringing parts of the plane with them for analysis.

The identities of the three victims were released last week, but it will likely be months before the official causes of death are released SA国际影视传媒� and longer still before it's known what exactly caused the deadly crash, the territory's chief coroner Cathy Menard told News/North.

That's because the Coroner Office's investigative partner, the TSB, has a one year window to publish findings following fatal aviation incidents.

SA国际影视传媒淏ecause we're investigative partners, we share a lot of the information. So our final reports are not released until all our partners reports are done,SA国际影视传媒� said Menard.

Little Doctor Lake, according to Simpson Air owner Ted Grant, is a common pit stop for planes returning from tours.

SA国际影视传媒�(The passengers) had already been to Virginia Falls and spent a couple hours touring at the falls and they were on their way back to (Fort) Simpson,SA国际影视传媒� Grant told News/North in an interview last week.

Asked how two passengers could have walked away from the fatal crash unharmed, Grant said thatSA国际影视传媒檚 SA国际影视传媒渏ust the way it happened,SA国际影视传媒� adding he wonSA国际影视传媒檛 know exactly what transpired until an investigation has been completed.

In 2013, the TSB reviewed 1,432 seaplane accidents spanning a 15-year period. Of the168 passengers who died in the 103 fatal accidents that occurred on water, 70 per cent SA国际影视传媒� 118 passengers SA国际影视传媒� were found deceased inside the aircraft. In those same 103 deadly crashes, 67 per cent of passengers died from drowning SA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒渢rapped in the confines of the cabin,SA国际影视传媒� stated the report. Far fewer died from impact or from exposure to the elements.

SA国际影视传媒淚f you're in the backseat of a 206, you're not getting out if the plane goes underwater,SA国际影视传媒� a retired British Colombia pilot with experience in flight operations management and crash investigations, who wishes to remain anonymous, told News/North in an interview last week.

The retired airman said the Cessna 206 isn't an SA国际影视传媒渙ptimum float plane.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淚 don't fly float planes anymore because it takes next to nothing to tip a float plane over. Once you're flipped, you're underwater very quickly and the people in the back can't get out,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

The experienced pilot stressed that until the TSB releases its findings, we won't know exactly what happened.

SA国际影视传媒淚t all depends on what type of accident it was,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

If a plane crashed while landing, the veteran pilot said activated landing SA国际影视传媒渇lapsSA国际影视传媒� make it harder for passengers to open the doors following a crash.

SA国际影视传媒淭he flap on the door side impinges against the door, so the door, you can't get can out of the airplane when the flaps are down using that door. If you can't get out of the airplane, you're going to drown,SA国际影视传媒� he said, adding the flaps will SA国际影视传媒渁lways be downSA国际影视传媒� when landing.

By addressing the vulnerabilities of the Cessna 206 SA国际影视传媒� and all small aircraft SA国际影视传媒� the former pilot said he's SA国际影视传媒渉ighlighting a danger that's being ignored.SA国际影视传媒�

Cathy Menard said part of the ongoing investigation includes determining where each of the passengers were positioned inside the aircraft.

Simpson Air owner Ted Grant said the community is reeling from the deadly crash.

SA国际影视传媒淓verybody is saddened by this, especially for the families of the victims who were on a flightseeing tour, certainly didnSA国际影视传媒檛 want anything like this to happen,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

SA国际影视传媒淭he whole community here is pretty saddened by it and of course all of my staff,SA国际影视传媒� said Grant.

The deadly Aug. 16 accident was the second crash in the Dehcho in as many days. The day before, three passengers and a pilot sustained minor injuries after another Cessna 206, owned by South Nahanni Airways, crashed in Nahanni Butte.

Asked whether or not potential tourists should be concerned or alarmed by the pair of crashes, Grant said SA国际影视传媒渢hese things do happen.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淵ou try to prevent them. Sometimes it can be mechanical, sometimes it can be human error. You just try to prevent everything but those things just do happen,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Grant said he's still confident in the safety of the Cessna 206.

SA国际影视传媒淚t's a great airplane and I've flown it for many years,SA国际影视传媒� said Grant. He added there's a misconception about plane crashes SA国际影视传媒� people think it's easy to get out of an aircraft.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen accidents happen you've got a split second or two,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Aug. 16's crash marks the second fatal accident for Simpson Air in 37 years. A 1988, crash claimed three lives.