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Floatplane carrying 11 people catches fire near Sucia Island
USA Today • • nation
Key Points:
- A Kenmore Air floatplane carrying 11 people made an emergency landing near Sucia Island in Washington's San Juan Islands on July 23 and caught fire, prompting a large rescue response by U.S., Canadian, and local emergency crews.
- All 11 people aboard, including 10 passengers and one pilot, were accounted for, with several sustaining injuries ranging from head trauma to broken bones; at least one person was in critical condition.
- The aircraft, identified as a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter, had departed from Lake Union in Seattle en route to Roche Harbor on San Juan Island before the accident occurred around 5:15 p.m. local time.
- Kenmore Air activated emergency response procedures and is cooperating fully with investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration; the cause of the accident remains unknown.
- The Coast Guard and partner agencies are also assessing potential environmental impacts after the plane caught fire and came to rest against rocks on Sucia Island, a popular tourism area in the San Juan archipelago.
