Miraculously, all 11 souls walked away with their lives after a seaplane both crashed and caught fire in the Puget Sound.
Operator Kenmore Air said in a statement that one of its planes, a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter, was on route out of Seattle with 10 passengers and a pilot when “an accident” saw the seaplane go down at 5:15 p.m. local time last Thursday.
Going down on the water, the plane also caught fire, and had already sunk in the frigid water by the time the US Coast Guard first responders arrived on scene.
Again, as if by a miracle, all 11 souls on board were rescued alive; some having sustained injuries like broken bones, lacerations, and head injuries.
“The pilot probably did a really good job to set it down gently enough to give everybody a chance,” Coast Guard Lt. Commander Marshall Burtt told CBS Evening News. “A lot of things went right to get everybody out of the plane.”
3 air ambulances arrived to rush the injured, including one who was in critical condition, to safety.
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The cause of the incident is yet unknown. Recovery of the plane was undertaken in the days after the crash for a full investigation. Flight radar shows the seaplane making a 180 degree turn toward Sucia Island in the Puget Sound after passing it, perhaps seeking to make an emergency landing.
“Out of respect for those involved, we will not speculate regarding the cause of the accident.” Kenmore Air CEO, David Gudgel, said, adding that the carrier is “fully cooperating with the investigating authorities, and we will continue providing verified information as it becomes available.”
Eyewitnesses report the plane wobbling in the air not far from the surface of the water before making impact. The fire ignited afterwards.
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