Prince George, B.C. – It could take months to determine the cause of yesterday’s cargo flight crash.

That from Bill Yearwood, regional manager with the Transportation Safety Board.

“We have been to the site of the crash, three of our investigators tell me the aircraft is badly broken up,” he says. “There are lots of unanswered questions, it will take quite a while before we conclude what happened.”

He says flight data recorders are not required on a plane this size (Metro II aircraft) but notes they have other tools at their disposal in their search for answers.

“Flight data recorders sure help us on larger aircraft that are so equipped. In this case we have some information from radar and we have lots of information from the accident site,” says Yearwood. “But the question that needs to be answered will take some time and that is what caused the pilots to lose control.”

Was poor weather a factor?

“No, the conditions at the time were conducive to icing but these aircraft are equipped to handle the icing,” he says. “We’re not aware of any emergency or distress calls and we can see the performance is normal prior to the upset. It’s going to be a challenge for us but I’m confident that our investigators will find out what caused this.”

Carson Air Flight 66 departed from YVR just before 7 am Monday and was due to land at YXS at 8.

It crashed just north of Mount Seymour shortly after take-off.

The plane, which Yearwood says was carrying banking information, had two pilots on board, aged 33 and 35 and from Vancouver.

Both were found deceased at the scene.

No names have been released.