Yellowknife (Jan 17/07) - The three men who died in the plane crash near Blachford Lake two weeks ago were killed by injuries caused by the crash, and not by the cold, according to the results of a preliminary autopsy.

"They unlikely survived any length of time, and they were certainly not conscious," said Percy Kinney, chief coroner of the NWT. "They died instantly or very quickly."

The autopsy confirmed the suspicions of Cpl. Shawn Harrison, one of the military rescuers who first arrived at the site of the crash.

Harrison told Yellowknifer last week that he suspected the three had died on impact.

Although full autopsy results won't be available for another three or four months, Kinney said he doesn't imagine any change in the preliminary findings, only that more details will become available.

Wray Tsuji, a senior investigator for the Transportation Safety Board, said he can't give details on what led to the crash until the investigation is complete.

As the lead investigator, he is still waiting for more data, including the plane wreckage which he has yet to receive.

Other than examining the plane, Tsuji will also be inquiring into the history of the pilot and the weather conditions before issuing a final report.

John Cottreau, spokesman for the Transportation Safety Board, said the investigation may take some time as they wait for an appropriate time to interview the survivor, Alfred Tsetta.

"It's a sensitive thing," said Cottreau, "You have to wait until that survivor is well enough to talk about what happened."

With all the information that needs to be gathered, Cottreau said he can't give a date on when the investigation will be complete.