One person survived the amphibious airplane's crash on Thormanby Island on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast north of Vancouver, Canwest News Service reported Monday.

Bill Yearwood, Canadian Transportation Safety Board spokesman, said the cause of Sunday's crash and explosion wasn't known.

The plane was heading to a Plutonic Power work camp on Toba Inlet when it went down. The coast guard began searching for the craft Sunday, when it was reported overdue.

Emergency crews were at the scene recovering bodies from the plane, which was flying from Vancouver to Powell River, British Columbia.

The aircraft was a Grumman Goose, which was first flown in 1937, Canwest reported. Only 345 were built but about 60 remain in operation in coastal areas because of their rugged construction and amphibious capability.