NTSB launching Go Team to investigate midair collision involving a DHC-2 and a DHC-3T about 10 miles northeast of Ketchikan, Alaska at about 1 pm ADT today. Media availability will be at Hangar 6 at DCA airport at 8:00 am EDT Tuesday morning, just before team departs.
KETCHIKAN, Alaska --
Two float planes have collided in mid-air near the southeast Alaska town of Ketchikan. Five people were killed, 10 were hospitalized and one is still missing.
The Coast Guard says it plans to search through the night for the person who is missing.
Altogether 14 people were on board the planes-- mostly passengers from the cruise ship the Royal Princess.
The ship was on a trip from Vancouver to Anchorage.
The planes collided under unknown circumstances, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said in an email to The Associated Press. Floatplanes have pontoons mounted under the fuselage so they can land on water.
Cindy Cicchetti said the ship captain announced that two planes were in an accident Monday. She said the ship is not leaving as scheduled and there weren't any details as to how the accident will affect the rest of the trip.
The NTSB is sending a crew from Washington DC to investigate.
Weather conditions in the area on Monday included high overcast skies with 9 mph (14 kph) southeast winds.
===============================
(CNN)At
least four people are dead after two floatplanes collided in flight
Monday afternoon near Ketchikan, Alaska, according to a news release
from the US Coast Guard.
The passengers on both planes were from the Royal Princess cruise ship, which is on a seven-day cruise.
The Coast Guard, which is leading the investigation, told CNN it is still looking for two people.
In an earlier statement to CNN, Princess Cruise Lines said five people were dead and "one guest still unknown."
Ketchikan, Alaska
The
crash took place around 1 p.m. (5 p.m. ET) when a small floatplane --
an aircraft with pontoons or floats that allow it to land on water --
operated by Taquan Air was flying a shore excursion. The flight, sold
through Princess Cruises, was returning from a tour of Alaska's Misty
Fjords and was carrying 10 passengers and a pilot, the news release
said.
The second plane involved was carrying four passengers on an independent tour, the release said.
Nine
of the passengers on the Taquan Air plane were rescued and received
medical attention with one passenger's condition still unknown, the
release said. The release did not state the condition of the pilot on
that plane.
"We are deeply saddened
to report this news and our thoughts and prayers are with those who
lost their lives and the families of those impacted by today's accident.
Princess Cruises is extending its full support to traveling companions
of the guests involved," the company said.
Taquan
Air, a regional airline based in Ketchikan, released a statement saying
it was "in the midst of an active crisis response, and our focus is on
assisting these passengers, the pilot, our staff, their families and
loved ones, and first responders."
"Taquan
Air has suspended all scheduled flights and is cooperating fully with
the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) and other authorities to examine every aspect of
this event," the Taquan Air statement read.
The NTSB tweeted Monday night that it was launching a "go team" to investigate the collision.
The Royal Princess cruise
ship is scheduled to arrive in Anchorage on Saturday, the news release
said. Part of the voyage, the company's website said, included "scenic
glacier viewing" with stops at Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway.
=================================
Narrative:
Two floatplanes (a de Havilland Canada DHC-3T Vazar Turbine Otter and a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver) with eleven and five occupants onboard from Royal Princess Cruises, have been involved in a mid-air collision over Coon Cove near the George Inlet area, about 8nm from Ketchikan, Alaska.
Total fate of the occupants: five killed, ten rescued (one in critical condition, three in serious and and six in fair condition) and one is missing.
The FAA reported that the five occupants on board the DHC-2 Beaver and one occupants from the DHC-3T Vazar Turbine Otter were unaccounted for.
Weather conditions in the area the 13 was included high overcast skies with 9 mph southeast winds.
both aircrafts are submerged in water.
Sources:
https://www.ktva.com/story/40467807/2-planes-crash-in-waters-near-ketchikan
https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Authorities-working-to-rescue-victims-of-two-float-plane-crashes-near-Ketchikan-509872001.html
https://vancouversun.com/news/world/five-dead-as-floatplanes-collide-midair-in-ketchikan-alaska
https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/aviation/2019/05/13/2-floatplanes-crash-near-ketchikan-coast-guard-says/
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/05/13/alaska-floatplanes-crash-rescue-crews-search/1194789001/
https://7news.com.au/news/disaster-and-emergency/alaska-seaplane-crash-five-killed-as-two-planes-collide-mid-air-c-111105
https://www.news4jax.com/news/national/3-killed-3-missing-in-alaska-plane-collision?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=snd&utm_content=wjxt4
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/sightseeing-airplanes-carrying-tourists-collide-ketchikan-alaska-live-updates-2019-05-13/
NTSB launching Go Team to investigate midair collision involving a DHC-2 and a DHC-3T about 10 miles northeast of Ketchikan, Alaska at about 1 pm ADT today. Media availability will be at Hangar 6 at DCA airport at 8:00 am EDT Tuesday morning, just before team departs.— NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) 14 mai 2019
Reports: 5 killed in Alaska plane collision https://t.co/Oqm1ovs73h— News4JAX (@wjxt4) 14 mai 2019
| Date: | 13-MAY-2019 |
| Time: | 13:00 |
| Type: |  de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | |
| C/n / msn: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Coon Cove near George Inlet area, about 8nm from Ketchikan, AK -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Non Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | |
UPDATE 2: Coast Guard continues response to airplane collision near Ketchikan, Alaska
Update: Coast Guard confirms the death of another individual bringing the total deceased to four and the total missing to two.JUNEAU, Alaska — The Coast Guard, partner agencies and good Samaritans continue to respond to the report of two aircrafts colliding and are searching for two people in the vicinity of George Inlet near Ketchikan, Alaska, Monday.
Ten people were rescued and are receiving medical care, the extent of their injuries are unknown. Four people are confirmed deceased.
The aircrafts involved were a Beaver float plane and an Otter float plane.
The Coast Guard is searching with the cutter Bailey Barco, an Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and two Station Ketchikan 45-foot Response Boat-Mediums.
Coast Guard Sector Juneau is actively coordinating the search with the following agencies:
U.S. Forest ServiceAlaska Department of Fish and Game Ketchikan Fire Department
Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad Alaska State Troopers TEMSCO Aviation
"In a remote area such as this, given our limited resources, we rely on our partner agencies and appreciate the support that good Samaritans have rendered to this point," said Capt. Stephen White, Coast Guard Sector Juneau commander. "With the loss of life in this case, we know that the impact to Alaska is immense and our thoughts are with the community here."
The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the incident. Preliminary reports to the Coast Guard indicate that this was a mid-air collision between the two planes.
This is a developing case and we will update as we learn more.