Family and friends of a popular Gatineau high school teacher are grieving after he was killed in a weekend plane crash in northern Quebec.

Mike Robinson, 40, was one of two people killed when a float plane went down, crashing into a swamp near James Bay.

Robinson taught math and coached soccer at Philemon Wright High School in Gatineau. His students say he was someone who was passionate and dedicated to helping others reach their full potential.

"I think Mike Robinson was somebody who went above and beyond, he wasn't just a teacher," said Allison McGlashan, a former student and soccer player.

"He was always extremely positive towards us, he always encouraged and I liked him as a coach," added Stephanie McGlashan, Allison's sister.

Putting students first

Colleagues say Robinson was a man who always had time for his students.

"It's more than just a teacher in the classroom or more than just a coach. He's an individual who will leave his imprint on a lot of different aspects in the school - more than just in and out of the class," colleague Rafi Khan told CTV Ottawa.

Robinson leaves behind his wife and their four-year-old son. Pilot Glen Arseneault was also killed in the crash. Three others were sent to hospital in Montreal; two suffered serious injuries.

Problems with takeoff

The group's aircraft, a DHC-2 Beaver float plane, took off from La Grande Rivière Airport, not far from James Bay, at about 11 a.m. Saturday. It crashed soon after taking flight less than two kilometres from the airport.

The Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of crash. So far, investigators have been able to determine the plane took longer than usual to take off.

Arseneault worked as a pilot for Nordair, a commercial and corporate airline operating in the James Bay and Hudson Bay area.

It's the second time a Beaver aircraft has been involved in a fatal crash in Quebec in just over a week.

A DHC-2 Beaver airplane crashed into a mountain in the Lac-Saint-Jean region of the province on July 16, killing four people and injuring two others.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Jonathan Rotondo and files from The Canadian Press