All 11 Survive Kenmore Air DHC-3 Crash Near Sucia Island

A Kenmore Air de Havilland DHC-3 Turbine Otter floatplane crashed in Shallow Bay off Sucia Island Marine State Park on Thursday, July 23, 2026. All 11 people aboard — 10 passengers and one pilot — survived, though several sustained injuries, the U.S. Coast Guard and local news outlets reported.

The aircraft, registration N709KA, had departed Lake Union in Seattle bound for Roche Harbor when adverse weather forced the pilot to divert toward Sucia Island. During an attempted emergency landing in Shallow Bay, the floatplane struck rocks and caught fire. Witness accounts and video footage show all occupants escaped into the water before the fuselage was consumed by flames. A multi-agency rescue effort coordinated by the U.S. Coast Guard included the U.S. Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard.

Investigation Underway

Four people were initially reported injured, some critically; follow-up reports from Harborview Medical Center and PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center indicate the remaining hospitalized passengers are now in satisfactory condition. The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation. While no preliminary cause has been released, analysts note investigators will likely examine aircraft maintenance records and pilot decision-making. The DHC-3 airframe has previously drawn scrutiny over horizontal stabilizer trim systems — most notably in a 2022 accident at Mutiny Bay — though whether similar mechanical issues contributed to this crash has not been determined.