一架载有11人的水上飞机周四下午5时20分左右在西雅图北部坠毁并着火。[1]飞机在浅湾靠近苏西亚岛附近出事，距西雅图约80英里。[1]
这架de Havilland DHC-3 Otter飞机隶属Kenmore Air公司，机上有1名飞行员和10名乘客。[1]飞机从西雅图联合湖起飞，原定前往圣胡安岛的罗切港水上飞机基地。[1]
多个救援机构通过船只和空中支援迅速展开救援，所有乘客和飞行员都被救出并送往医院。[1]Kenmore Air公司首席执行官David Gudgel表示："我们很感激船上的每个人都被安全找到。"[1]该公司取消了周五的所有定期航班。[1]
这是该机型近年来的又一起严重事故。2022年Puget Sound地区曾发生DHC-3 Otter坠毁事故，造成10人遇难。[1]事后美国联邦航空局要求对全美63架该型飞机的稳定器执行器进行检查。[1]FAA颁布的适航指令要求运营商确认稳定器执行器锁定环正确安装，截止日期为12月19日。[1]
A de Havilland DHC-3 Otter operated by Kenmore Air crashed and caught fire Thursday afternoon near Sucia Island in shallow bay waters approximately 80 miles north of Seattle. [1] The aircraft went down around 5:20 p.m. while en route from Union Lake in Seattle to Roche Harbor seaplane base on San Juan Island. [1]
All 11 people aboard—one pilot and 10 passengers—were rescued and transported to hospitals. [1] Multiple rescue agencies deployed vessels and air support to conduct the rapid evacuation from the crash site. [1] Kenmore Air CEO David Gudgel stated: "We are very grateful that everyone on board was found safely." [1]
The airline canceled all regularly scheduled flights for Friday following the incident. [1]
The crash marks another serious incident involving the DHC-3 Otter model in the Puget Sound region. [1] A 2022 DHC-3 Otter crash in the area killed 10 people and prompted the FAA to order inspections of stabilizer actuators on all 63 of this aircraft type operating across the United States. [1] The FAA subsequently issued an airworthiness directive requiring operators to confirm correct installation of stabilizer actuator lock rings, with a compliance deadline of December 19. [1]