A floatplane carrying 10 passengers and a pilot erupted in flames Thursday after crash-landing during an attempted emergency landing in the waters near a Washington island, leaving multiple people injured, including one person in critical condition.
The de Havilland DHC-3 single-engine bush plane went down around 5:15 p.m. local time in Shallow Bay off Sucia Island, roughly 90 miles north of Seattle and about four miles from the Canadian border, the US Coast Guard told Fox 13 News. The aircraft had departed Seattle about 45 minutes earlier.
The plane, operated by Kenmore Air, was trying to carry out an emergency landing when it caught fire, officials said.
Footage from the scene showed the single-engine aircraft engulfed in flames and broken apart, floating in the water just feet from Sucia Island’s rocky shoreline.
Despite the intensity of the crash and fire, authorities said all 10 passengers and the pilot were accounted for after the wreck.
One person was listed in critical condition, while others suffered injuries ranging from head trauma to broken bones and lacerations, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office told King 5 News.
The Coast Guard transported two injured passengers to a hospital in Bellingham, on the mainland about a 20-minute boat ride from the crash site.
Two additional passengers were taken to nearby Orcas Island for medical evaluation and treatment.
The Orcas Island Fire and Rescue wrote on Facebook that multiple agencies, including their department, the Coast Guard and the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, responded to the crash site.
The plane was headed to Roche Harbor — about 20 miles from where it went down, King 5 News reported.
Kenmore Air CEO David Gudgel confirmed to the outlet that the plane belonged to his company, and he was “grateful that everyone aboard has been accounted for.”
“Our immediate focus is ensuring our passengers and pilot receive the care and support they need,” Gudgel said in the statement.
“We extend our sincere thanks to the United States Coast Guard, local emergency responders, and everyone assisting in the response. Kenmore Air is fully cooperating with the investigating authorities, and we will continue providing verified information as it becomes available.”
The cause of the emergency landing and fire remains under investigation.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched an investigation into the crash, King 5 News reported.
At the time of the crash, thunderstorms were rolling through the area, producing wind gusts of 12 to 20 mph, with visibility at 10 miles, National Weather Service meteorologist Harrison Rademacher said, the Seattle Times reported.
Kenmore Air, the largest seaplane operator in the US, flies more than 90,000 passengers annually to over 45 destinations across the Pacific Northwest and Canada.
