All 11 people aboard a seaplane survived after the aircraft crashed and burst into flames along the rocky coastline of a vacation island north of Seattle, with rescuers arriving quickly by boat and helicopter to bring everyone to area hospitals.
The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Thursday that one person was listed in critical condition, with passengers sustaining head injuries, broken bones, and lacerations. By Friday, at least five of those aboard had already been released from the hospital. The reason for the crash has not yet been determined.
The incident happened less than three weeks after a separate seaplane carrying eight people made a hard landing in New York City’s East River, resulting in minor injuries.
Social media video captured the moments before and during the crash, showing the plane tilting sharply to one side as it flew low over the water near boats and the shoreline. The aircraft touched down on just one float, briefly bounced back into the air, then slammed into land. The person filming the video can be heard gasping as a loud crunching noise signals the impact just beyond the camera’s view.
The plane, carrying a pilot and 10 passengers, went down at approximately 5:20 p.m. Thursday in the San Juan Islands — a rugged chain of islands situated between Washington state and Vancouver, British Columbia. The area is a well-known summer destination, popular for ferry rides, whale watching, and outdoor hiking.
Bystanders on nearby boats rushed to the scene to help evacuate passengers from the downed aircraft. Video footage shows people climbing out of the plane as thick black smoke gave way to bright orange flames that consumed the fuselage, which came to rest partly submerged against a large rock.
The U.S. Coast Guard issued a statement Friday saying, “An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast was issued to mariners in the area, and numerous good Samaritan vessels responded to assist.”
The plane went down near Sucia Island, an uninhabited state park north of the main San Juan Islands known for its winding coves, beaches, and rocky shoreline. The crash occurred near Shallow Bay, a wide crescent-shaped inlet close to a campground where several large pleasure boats were anchored at the time.
A hospital spokesperson named Amy Drury confirmed that at least five passengers had been discharged from two hospitals. The identities of those aboard have not been made public.
The aircraft was identified as a DHC-3 Otter, manufactured by de Havilland Aircraft of Canada — the same model of floatplane that plunged into Puget Sound northwest of Seattle in 2022, killing 10 people. Federal regulators mandated inspections of that aircraft type following that disaster, and investigators determined that a single part within a critical flight control system had failed.
Thursday’s plane was operated by Kenmore Air, a tourism airline based near Seattle — a different company than the one involved in the 2022 crash. Kenmore Air, identified as the largest operator of DHC-3 Otter aircraft on Puget Sound, had previously stated its planes cleared those required inspections.
The airline’s chief executive declined to speculate on the cause of the accident. “We are grateful that everyone aboard has been accounted for,” CEO David Gudgel said. He added that the company grounded all scheduled flights for Friday and that Kenmore Air is fully cooperating with investigators.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced it would open an investigation, and the National Transportation Safety Board said it would dispatch a team Friday to examine the crash site. A spokesperson noted the agency was still collecting information and that no media briefings were immediately planned.
The flight originated at Lake Union in Seattle, roughly 80 miles — or about 130 kilometers — south of Sucia Island, and was bound for Roche Harbor Seaplane Base on San Juan Island, according to both the airline and the FAA.
