A seaplane carrying 11 people crashed and erupted into a fiery blaze off the coast of Washington state, leaving one victim fighting life.
The Kenmore Air plane was forced to attempt an emergency landing in Shallow Bay just off Sucia Island, around 80 nautical miles from Seattle. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound immediately deployed its search and rescue assets upon receiving reports of the crash at around 5.25 p.m. Thursday, the agency said.
Footage of the crash showed the de Havilland DHC-3 Otter aircraft soaring just above the water, before appearing to make contact with its surface. Then, the video cuts to rescuers helping passengers from the crashed aircraft to the nearby shore.
Later in the video, the jet becomes engulfed in flames with plumes of black smoke stretching out from the crash site into the air.
The Coast Guard has confirmed that the plane caught fire after the landing took place and remains against the rocks on Sucia Island.
The aircraft was carrying 10 passengers and one pilot at the time of the emergency landing, all of whom have been accounted for. Several injured passengers were taken to hospitals in Friday Harbor, Skagit County and Bellingham for medical treatment, the agency says.
The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to KING 5 on Thursday that one person remains in critical condition and that the passengers’ injuries range from “head injuries to broken bones and lacerations.”
San Juan County Sheriff Eric Peter told ABC News that a civilian vessel that saw the crash helped to get people out of the water. The aircraft was already ablaze when the sheriff’s office arrived.
A spokesperson for Kenmore Air confirmed to KING 5 that the aircraft had taken off at 4.30 p.m. from Lake Union in Seattle and went down at around 5.15 p.m. The plane was heading for Roche Harbor.
The spokesperson also provided more detail on where the passengers were sent to hospital, with 6 being sent to PeaceHealth St Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham.
Four passengers were transported to PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center in Friday Harbor, with the pilot being taken to Skagit Valley Hospital.
In a statement, Kenmore Air CEO David Gudgel thanked the Coast Guard, local emergency responders and those assisting the response to the crash.
“We are grateful that everyone aboard has been accounted for, and our immediate focus is ensuring our passengers and pilot receive the care and support they need,” Gudgel said, noting that the company is fully cooperating with investigators.
The company has also confirmed that all of its scheduled flights on July 24 have been canceled, in order to support the passengers, pilot, family and employees affected by the emergency landing.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the cause of the crash and the fire, the Coast Guard says.