Seaplane crashes, catches fire north of Seattle; all 11 on board survive
A seaplane with 11 people on board crashed and caught fire a short time later in the Puget Sound area north of Seattle. All 11 survived, authorities said.
Updated on: July 24, 2026 / 4:14 AM EDT / CBS News
Kenmore Air said in a statement that one of its planes, a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter carrying ten passengers and a pilot from Seattle to Roche Harbor in the San Juan Islands "was involved in an accident" at about 5:15 p.m. local time in Shallow Bay, near Sucia Island and "everyone aboard has been accounted for."
The San Juan County Sheriff's Office said everyone on the plane "was rescued from the water" and that "there are multiple patients with injuries ranging from head injuries to broken bones and lacerations, with 1 patient in critical condition and no reports of fatalities at this time."
The office said there were three airlift ambulances at the scene. Kenmore said first responders included the Coast Guard and local emergency personnel.
Video taken by onlooker Monica Scott showed the plane wobbling as it flew only a few feet over the water, then crashing and bursting into flames.