Kenmore Air DHC-3 Floatplane Crashes Near Sucia Island; All 11 Survive

A De Havilland DHC-3 Turbine Otter floatplane, registration N709KA, crashed during an attempted emergency landing in Shallow Bay near Sucia Island, Washington, on July 23, 2026. All 11 occupants survived the impact, according to reports from ABC News and FL360 Aero.

Flight 140, operated by Kenmore Air, was en route from Seattle's Lake Union to Roche Harbor when the incident occurred at approximately 5:15 p.m. local time. One person was transported to a hospital in critical condition, while others sustained fractures, head injuries and lacerations, ABC News reported. Early accounts indicate the aircraft struck the water and nearby rocks before catching fire.

Investigation Underway

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched investigations into the cause of the accident. No probable cause has been determined. The DHC-3 Otter has been involved in previous Pacific Northwest incidents, including a 2022 crash at Mutiny Bay, Washington, which the NTSB attributed to a flight-control failure involving a horizontal stabilizer trim actuator.