11 people rescued after seaplane crashes and burns off Washington coast
KING, MONICA SCOTTDAVE EASTMAN, CNN
By Martin Goillandeau, Aaron Cooper, CNN
(CNN) — The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after a seaplane carrying 11 people making an emergency landing, crashed and erupted into flames off the coast of Washington, prompting a multi-agency search and rescue operation.
Kenmore Air flight 140, a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter aircraft, went down Thursday evening in the water near Sucia Island, in the San Juan Islands, according to a statement from the company.
All 11 people, a pilot and 10 passengers, aboard the seaplane have been accounted for and were taken to the hospital, the airline said.
One person is in critical condition, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office told CNN affiliate KING. The victims’ injuries range from “head injuries to broken bones and lacerations.”
Five passengers have already been discharged from the hospital and two more are expected to be later today, KING reported Friday morning. Three others remain hospitalized.
What prompted the plane to make an emergency landing is unknown.
Video from a nearby boat showed the plane preparing to land, tilting to its left before bouncing on the water and disappearing from view. The plane’s propeller did not appear to be spinning.
A later video clip showed the aircraft beached against rocks as passengers climbed from the plane before it eventually was consumed by fire.
Kenmore Air said in a statement the floatplane took off at 4:30 p.m. from Lake Union in Seattle for the roughly 100 mile flight to the resort community of Roche Harbor in the island chain. The plane went down around 45 minutes after takeoff, roughly 15 miles from its destination.
The San Juan Islands are a popular tourist destination with whale watching, sea kayaking and other outdoor activities attracting visitors in the summer.
On Thursday, the US Coast Guard said it received initial reports around 5:25 p.m. and immediately launched search and rescue assets, alongside the US Navy, Canadian Coast Guard and local agencies.
Emergency dispatch audio captured authorities coordinating search and rescue efforts, including the deployment of one US Coast Guard helicopter and a Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft.
“We have multiple vessels in the water,” a person says over the audio dispatch. Later, a radio call says two boats had rescued people who were on board the plane.
“We are grateful that everyone aboard has been accounted for, and our immediate focus is ensuring our passengers and pilot receive the care and support they need,” Kenmore Air CEO David Gudgel said in the statement.
“Kenmore Air is fully cooperating with the investigating authorities, and we will continue providing verified information as it becomes available,” Gudgel said.
The airline said it canceled all of its scheduled flights for Friday as the team “focuses on supporting the passengers, pilot, families, employees, and emergency response efforts.”
Founded in 1946, Kenmore Air is the largest seaplane airline in the United States, flying over 90,000 passengers annually on scheduled, scenic and charter flights.
The plane that crashed was a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter, a popular single-engine aircraft that’s used as a float plane but it can also be equipped with wheels or skis for other rugged operations.
There were 466 of the planes made between 1951 and 1967, though many have been upgraded in the decades since. Kenmore said on its website that its “Otters have all been overhauled and incorporate many enhanced features.”
While the cause of the crash is unknown, weather conditions around the time had ground-level wind gusts out of the south at 20 mph and rain showers moving into the area.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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CNN’s Dalia Faheid and Briana Waxman contributed to this report.
