Plane collides with rock while trying to land on water, 11 people were on board, big news from US

Seattle: A seaplane crashed into rocks on Thursday evening near a remote island located near the Canadian border in Washington state of America. The plane caught fire after the accident, but thanks to the swift action of nearby boats and the US Coast Guard, all 11 people on board were evacuated safely. One person is in critical condition after the crash, according to the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. Many passengers have suffered head injuries and broken bones. However, by Friday at least 5 passengers had been discharged from the hospital.

How did this plane accident happen?

This accident happened at around 5:20 pm on Thursday evening. There was a pilot and 10 passengers on board the plane. The seaplane crashed near uninhabited Susia Island State Park, Washington. The island is located in the northern part of the San Juan Islands, a popular tourist destination in the summer for ferry service, whale watching and trekking. In the video surfaced on social media, it can be seen that the plane was flying very low over the water. Suddenly he leaned to one side and first touched the water with only the help of a float. After this the plane again jumped in the air for a while, but after losing control it crashed into the ground.

Rescue operation started immediately after the accident

Eyewitness Dave Eastman was present at sea in his small boat at the time. He told that initially he thought that the plane would hit his boat, but later it was seen flying down towards the island. There were 6 to 7 boats present in the area, including aluminum fishing boats. Everyone immediately ran towards the spot for help. In the video, it can be seen that passengers are coming out from inside the plane, while black smoke is rising from the plane and its structure is engulfed in flames. The front part of the aircraft hit a large rock and was partially submerged in water.

‘This accident was shocking’

Dave Eastman also took photographs of the burning plane after all passengers were safely evacuated. He said,

‘This accident was shocking for all of us. But it was a relief to know that everyone is alive.

Eastman said the weather was clear at the beginning of the day, but at the time of the accident a storm accompanied by lightning was in the area. Heavy rain also started during the fire in the plane. However, it is not yet clear whether bad weather was the cause of the accident or not.

A similar plane crashed in 2022 also

The aircraft operator company said that it was a DHC-3 Otter model seaplane, manufactured by De Havilland Aircraft of Canada. Another seaplane of the same model crashed in Puget Sound near Seattle in 2022, killing 10 people. After that accident, during investigation, a vital part of the flight control system of the plane was found to be defective. After this, federal regulators ordered an investigation of all such seaplanes. However, this time the plane that crashed belonged to Kenmore Air, a tourist airline based near Seattle. This is separate from the company involved in the 2022 crash.

The causes of the accident will be investigated

Kenmore Air Chief Executive Officer David Gudgel said it would not be appropriate to speculate on the cause of the crash until the investigation is complete. He said,

‘We are pleased that everyone on board the aircraft has been located and is safe.’

The company canceled all scheduled flights for Friday and said it would fully cooperate with the investigating agencies. America The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has begun an investigation into the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is also sending its investigation team to the spot. Officials say that at present all the facts are being collected, hence media briefing will not be held right now. (AP)

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