SEATTLE — A seaplane carrying 11 people crashed and caught fire on the rocky coast of a remote, forested island near Washington's border with Canada, but a swift rescue by nearby boats and a helicopter got everyone safely to hospitals.
The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday one person was in critical condition, and that patients suffered head injuries, broken bones and cuts. At least five of the passengers had been discharged from hospitals as of Friday. The cause of the crash was not immediately known.
The crash came less than three weeks after a seaplane carrying eight people made a rough landing in New York City's East River, causing minor injuries.
Videos posted on social media of Thursday's crash show the aircraft turning to one side as it flies low over the water near several boats and the shore. The plane makes a hard landing, at first touching down on just one float, then briefly skips into the air before hitting land. The person recording the video gasps when a crunching sound is heard from the plane's impact just out of sight.
The plane was carrying a pilot and 10 passengers. It crashed at about 5:20 p.m. Thursday on Sucia Island, an uninhabited state park. Sucia is north of the main San Juan Islands, a rugged archipelago between Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia, that is a popular summer vacation spot known for its ferries, whale watching and hiking.
First responders and witnesses race to the scene
Dave Eastman was in a dinghy on the water when he saw the plane coming in. At first he was worried it was going to hit his boat, he said, but then he saw it flying low toward the island. He said there were six or seven boats in the area, including a couple of aluminum fishing boats, and everyone raced to help.
In the videos, passengers can be seen exiting the plane as black smoke rises and bright orange flames engulf the fuselage, which came to rest partially submerged against a large rock. Eastman took some photos of the burning plane after those on board had been evacuated.
“It kind of just shook us up a little bit,” he said. “Knowing everyone’s OK, at least that everyone is alive at this point, that kind of helps ease the concern.”
Eastman, of Lynnwood, Washington, said Thursday started off with nice weather, but a storm with lightning hit the area around the time of the crash. It wasn’t clear if the storm played a role. Heavy rain began falling as the plane was burning, he said.
“An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast was issued to mariners in the area, and numerous good Samaritan vessels responded to assist,” the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement Friday.
Several agencies scrambled to respond. The Coast Guard sent a helicopter while their Canadian counterparts mobilized a hovercraft, according to a recording of San Juan County dispatch audio posted by Broadcastify.
Sucia Island features a maze of coves, beaches and rocky points. The plane went down near Shallow Bay, which cuts a wide crescent into the island near a campground. Videos show several sailboats and other large pleasure boats were anchored there Thursday.
The same type of seaplane crashed near Seattle in 2022
The plane's operator said it was a DHC-3 Otter made by de Havilland Aircraft of Canada. That's the same model of floatplane as one that plunged into the waters of Puget Sound northwest of Seattle in 2022, killing 10 people.
Federal regulators ordered seaplanes to be inspected afterward, and investigators found a single component of a critical flight control system had failed.
The plane that crashed Thursday was operated by Kenmore Air, a tourism airline based near Seattle, which is a different company than the one involved in the 2022 crash. Kenmore Air, the largest operator of DHC-3 Otter planes on Puget Sound, had said its aircraft passed inspection.
The cause of the crash will be investigated
A statement from the airline's chief said they would not speculate about why their plane went down.
“We are grateful that everyone aboard has been accounted for,” CEO David Gudgel said. He said the company canceled all scheduled flights for Friday and that Kenmore was cooperating with investigators.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it would investigate, and the National Transportation Safety Board will send a team Friday to investigate the crash. A spokesperson said the agency was still gathering information, so no media briefings were planned immediately.
The aircraft took off from Lake Union in Seattle, which is about 80 miles (130 kilometers) south of Sucia Island, and was headed to Roche Harbor, the site of a historic hotel, marina and resort on San Juan Island.
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McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire, and Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut. Associated Press transportation reporter Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report.