Seaplane crashes, catches fire in Puget Sound area north of Seattle; all 11 on board survive
A seaplane with 11 people on board crashed and caught fire a short time later in the Puget Sound area north of Seattle on Thursday evening. All 11 survived, authorities said.
Kenmore Air said in a statement that one of its planes, a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter carrying 10 passengers and a pilot from Seattle to Roche Harbor in the San Juan Islands, "was involved in an accident" at about 5:15 p.m. local time in Shallow Bay, near Sucia Island and "everyone aboard has been accounted for."
The San Juan County Sheriff's Office said everyone on the plane "was rescued from the water" and that "there are multiple patients with injuries ranging from head injuries to broken bones and lacerations, with 1 patient in critical condition and no reports of fatalities at this time."
The office said there were three airlift ambulances at the scene. Kenmore said first responders included the Coast Guard and local emergency personnel.
There was no early word on what might have gone wrong with the plane. The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed to CBS News on Friday that it is investigating the crash.
Video taken by onlooker Monica Scott showed the plane wobbling as it flew only a few feet over the water, then crashing and bursting into flames.
The Coast Guard provided video of the burning aircraft.
Kenmore said, "Out of respect for those involved, we will not speculate regarding the cause of the accident." Its CEO, David Gudgel, said the carrier is "fully cooperating with the investigating authorities, and we will continue providing verified information as it becomes available."
Kenmore said it's "the largest seaplane airline in the United States" with flights throughout the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia in addition to a "wheeled aircraft operation, Kenmore Air Express."
Shallow Bay is at the northwestern tip of Sucia Island State Park in Washington state's San Juan Islands, north of Seattle and near the Canadian border.
