SUCIA ISLAND, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – We’re learning more about the cause of last month’s commercial seaplane crash at Sucia Island.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says the pilot of the Kenmore Air seaplane radioed that bad weather would force an emergency landing minutes before the crash.
The preliminary report from the NTSB didn’t identify a direct cause of the July 23 crash.
But it detailed how inclement weather prevented the plane from landing at its destination at Roche Harbor on San Juan Island.
According to the report, the pilot told the operator that he planned to return to Sucia Island and wait for the weather to improve.
Video footage from a witness showed the plane at a low altitude and a “nose-high attitude” dropping towards the water. When it was about 4 ft over the water, the left wing dropped and the left wingtip and left pontoon float hit the water.
The pilot and two passengers were seriously injured and eight passengers suffered minor injuries when the plane landed on the water before crashing into rocks.
Several small boats quickly arrived to rescue the passengers, after which the fire destroyed the plane’s fuselage.
The NTSB will release a final report to the public with a probable cause of the crash once it’s determined.
