5 dead, 1 missing on float plane excursions out of Ketchikan

[Host Mike]

"Five people are dead and one person is unaccounted for after two floatplanes carrying passengers from a cruise excursion collided mid-air in Alaska.

The two planes carried 14 passengers from a seven-day roundtrip cruise out of Vancouver, according to a statement Monday from Royal Princess Cruises. Both planes collided mid-air about eight nautical miles from Ketchikan, Alaska, at the southeastern end of the state at about 1 p.m. local time.

An Otter floatplane with 11 people onboard was returning from a Misty Fjords tour while a second Beaver floatplane carrying five people was on an independent tour.

Four cruise goers and one pilot are dead after the accident, Royal Princess Cruises confirmed Monday."

Ten people involved in the crash were rescued by a passing ship named the Saint Innocent. Three of those rescued were in serious condition and one was critical, a local hospital told NBC News. The others were in fair condition."

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/14/floatplanes-carrying-royal-princess-cruise-goers-collide-in-alaska.html

[Host Mike]

"Both planes were flying excursions sold through Princess Cruise Lines, which confirmed in a statement to ABC News that five people were killed.

"On Monday, May 13, 2019, at 1:08 p.m. local time, a small float plane operated by Taquan Air that was flying a shore excursion sold through Princess Cruises was involved in an accident approximately eight nautical miles from Ketchikan, AK, Princess Cruise Lines said in a statement. "The flight was returning from a Misty Fjords tour and carried ten guests from Royal Princess and a pilot. A second float plane was also involved in an incident and was carrying four guests from Royal Princess on an independent tour."

https://abcnews.go.com/US/dead-10-hospitalized-midair-collision-alaska/story?id=63018394

[Host Mike]

The planes collided in the vicinity of George Inlet, near Ketchikan. Picture: Google Maps.Source:Supplied

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/five-dead-after-two-planes-carrying-cruise-ship-passengers-collide-midair/news-story/049c5250c1236bbd329ad36e8ea6beee

[Host Mike]

https://www.10news.com/news/national/fatalities-reported-as-planes-collide-in-midair-over-alaska

[Host Mike]

"The U.S. Coast Guard and local search and rescue teams have confirmed that nine (9) of the guests on the Taquan Air plane have been rescued and are receiving medical attention with the condition of one (1) guest still unknown.

It has also been confirmed there are five (5) fatalities from the independent air tour - four (4) Royal Princess guests and one (1) pilot."

https://wjactv.com/news/nation-world/6-missing-after-midair-floatplane-collision-in-alaska

[CrusinEd]

Sad to hear. Prayers go out to all families

[obendus]

This is absolutely terrible news. My heart goes out to the families of those injured or killed in this accident. I also wish for comfort for all of the emergency personal and responders who will no doubt be traumatized.

[Host Mike]

"The Australian was initially listed as unaccounted for.

“The Australian unfortunately is one of the people confirmed deceased,” US Coast Guard lieutenant Brian Dykens told AAP

The NTSB confirmed dive teams are continuing to search for two people in the icy cold waters of a southeast Alaska inlet, with one being a Canadian tourist.
However, a Coast Guard official said the remote nature of the search area has created “one of the most difficult conditions” for crews to operate in.

The water temperature off Ketchikan on Tuesday was 8.8 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The expected survival time in four to 10-degree water is one to three hours, according to the United States Search & Rescue Task Force website."

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/australian-missing-after-cruise-ship-crash-in-alaska/news-story/f86e9bacc149e3c6886c1fd73ffe623c

[Host Mike]

"Alaska State Troopers have identified the victims who died in the crash, Canada’s Global News is reporting. They include pilot Randy Sullivan, 46; Simon Bodie, 56, of Tempe, Australia; Cassandra Webb, 62, of St. Louis; Ryan Wilk, 39, of Utah; Elsa Wilk, 37, of Richmond, British Columbia; and Louis Botha, 46, of San Diego."

https://www.ajc.com/news/national/dead-missing-after-mid-air-collision-between-float-planes-alaska/YegtE7br8Ipd0InglEaE2H/

[Host Mike]

"The float plane collision follows a similar incident that took place in July 2015, involving Holland America Line cruise passengers. All nine passengers onboard the plane, including the pilot, died in the 2015 crash, which also occurred outside Ketchikan."

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/4091/

[Host Mike]

"Spokesman Peter Knudson with the National Transportation Safety Board says the larger of the planes, a single-engine de Havilland Otter operated by Taquan Air, was initially traveling at an altitude of about 3,800 feet.

He says the plane had descended to an altitude of 3,200 to 3,300 feet when it collided with the smaller plane, the Beaver piloted by Sullivan, as both planes headed to Ketchikan with cruise ship passengers.

Knudson says the Beaver had been flying at a 3,300-foot altitude."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7030281/PICTURED-Father-two-pilot-46-died-two-tourist-planes-crashed-mid-air-Alaska.html


Reports indicate that a larger a single-engine de Havilland Otter operated by Taquan Air (like the one above) descended sharply before colliding with the Beaver piloted by Sullivan


Father-of-two Sullivan had been a pilot with Mountain Air since 2012

[Host Mike]

Map shows location of sightseeing plane collision near Ketchikan, Alaska on May 13, 2019 Google Maps

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alaska-plane-crash-2-sightseeing-planes-carrying-cruise-ship-tourists-collide-midair-near-ketchikan-alaska-2019-05-14/

[Host Mike]

"In June 2015, a pilot and eight passengers died when a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter operated by Promech Air Inc. crashed into mountainous terrain about 24 miles (39 kilometers) from Ketchikan. The NTSB later determined that pilot error and lack of a formal safety program were behind the crash."

https://www.rochesterfirst.com/news/national/3-dead-3-missing-after-small-tour-planes-collide-in-alaska/2000316775

[Host Mike]

"The smaller plane, a single-engine de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, was partially submerged in the shore of George Inlet after it overturned and hit some trees before crashing, Dykens said.  The larger plane, a de Havilland Otter DHC-3, landed in the water and sank, he said.

The planes came down about 2½ kilometres apart with some of the debris field on land. Their altitude wasn't immediately known."

https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/australian-canadian-missing-in-alaskan-waters-after-tour-planes-crash-20190515-p51neg.html

[Host Mike]

"Both planes were headed toward Ketchikan at the close of their tours. Homendy said the Taquan plane descended from 3,800 feet to between 3,200 and 3,300 feet at about 150 mph.

The Mountain Air plane was at 3,300 feet, flying at about 125 mph.

“The two planes converged between 3,200 and 3,300 feet on the west side of the George Inlet,” she said.

That area is uncontrolled air space, so there was no contact with air traffic controllers. Neither plane carried a flight recorder."

https://www.krbd.org/2019/05/14/ntsb-planes-collided-at-about-3300-feet/