NTSB Probes Kenmore Air Crash After 3 Passengers Remain Hospitalized

Q: What sudden anomaly forced a vintage seaplane to violently rock and crash into Shallow Bay despite passing all recent safety inspections?

It is not yet known. Investigators have not identified a confirmed sudden anomaly that forced the Kenmore Air de Havilland DHC-3 Otter to rock and crash in Shallow Bay. What is known is that the pilot altered course because of weather in the area, and aviation analyst John Nance said weather data suggests the plane may have encountered a small but intense thunderstorm that rapidly developed along the route near Roche Harbor. That is one plausible factor, but it remains analysis, not an official finding. Video showed the vintage floatplane rocking side to side before impact, and reports indicate it was attempting an emergency landing on the water before striking near the shoreline and catching fire. The NTSB is examining weather, radar data, maintenance records, the aircraft itself, and the pilot’s medical history to determine whether the cause was environmental, mechanical, or human. The aircraft’s recent inspections do not rule out a sudden problem; they only show it had met required maintenance checks, including a 100-hour inspection on June 25 and an annual inspection in January. For now, the best-supported answer is that a rapidly developing weather event, possibly a localized thunderstorm, may have triggered the emergency, but the exact anomaly that led to the violent rocking and crash remains under federal investigation.

3 articles · Updated · KUOW News and Information · Jul 24

Three passengers were still hospitalized Friday after a Kenmore Air seaplane crashed near Sucia Island, though all 10 passengers and the pilot survived and were rescued from the water.
NTSB said it will recover the sunken de Havilland DHC-3 Otter and examine weather, maintenance records and the pilot’s health, with an initial report due within a month.
Kenmore Air said a weather system prompted the pilot to alter course on the Seattle-to-Roche Harbor flight before it went down about 45 minutes after departing Lake Union.
Videos showed the plane rocking before striking the water and catching fire; the Navy, Coast Guard and nearby boaters pulled survivors out, with injuries including broken bones and lacerations.
The aircraft, built in 1960, had current inspections, Kenmore Air said; the same model crashed off Whidbey Island in 2022, killing all 10 people aboard.