A three-year-old girl is recovering in an Alberta hospital after search and rescue teams found her strapped into a car seat in the wreckage of a small plane that crashed near Golden, B.C.

Search and rescue crews said the car seat Kate Williams was strapped into likely saved her life.
(CBC)

Kate Williams, the only survivor among the three passengers, was listed in good, stable condition Monday at Alberta's Children's Hospital in Calgary.

The girl's grandfather, Allen Williams, 65, was killed in the crash along with his colleague, Steven T. Sutton, 49.

Williams was the CEO of a well-known Edmonton engineering firm and Sutton was the firm's chief financial officer.

Williams and Sutton were returning from a weekend business retreat in Golden to Edmonton, where they both lived.

Search and rescue crews said the car seat Kate was strapped into likely saved her life, withstanding the impact of the crash.
(CBC)

Search and rescue crews located the wreckage of the Cessna 172 Sunday evening and the little girl was airlifted to the Golden Hospital. She was admitted to the Alberta Children's Hospital Monday afternoon and will be kept overnight under observation.

Search and rescue crews said the car seat Kate was strapped into likely saved her life, withstanding the impact of the crash.

Wendy Cooper, a friend and co-worker of Williams, said he adored his grandchildren and covered his desk with their photos.

"He would have made heroic measures to make sure that he did everything he could to fly that plane and protect that child," Cooper said.

Cooper, the executive director of the Consulting Engineers of Alberta, said Williams' colleagues were stunned by news of the crash.

"It's a big loss for our community, it's a big loss for his family. I still can't believe it," she said.

Police said weather conditions were poor at the time of the crash, with low cloud cover and snow.