JUNEAU, June 25 (Reuters) – All nine people aboard an excursion plane from a Holland America Line cruise ship that crashed in Alaska on Thursday died in the accident, police and the aircraft company said.
Eight passengers and the pilot were killed when the plane went down during a tour of the Misty Fjords area of southeast Alaska on Thursday afternoon, flight operator Promech Air said in a statement.
“There is nothing I can say that can alleviate the pain and overwhelming sense of loss,” said Marcus Sessoms, president of Promech Air.
None of those aboard the crashed single-engine aircraft was identified, pending notification of their families, Promech added.
“It was a bad crash site,” volunteer rescue worker Chris John told the Alaska Dispatch News, adding that the weather in the area at the time was windy and turbulent.
The small float plane crashed near Ella Lake, about 20 miles (30 km) northeast of the town of Ketchikan, cruise operator Holland America Line said.
Conditions at the nearby Ketchikan International Airport were overcast and rainy around the time of the crash, the National Weather Service said.
Ketchikan is a popular summertime cruise destination about 230 miles (370 km) south of Juneau, the state capital.
A helicopter pilot spotted the downed plane against a granite rock face about 800 feet (240 m) above Ella Lake in the Misty Fjords, according to an Alaska State Trooper report.
Due to bad weather, efforts to retrieve bodies will begin on Friday, a state trooper said.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to investigate. The aircraft was a DeHavilland DHC-3 Otter, one of five operated by Promech.
The excursion flight was sold through Holland America Line, a unit of Carnival Corp.
The eight passengers had been on the cruise ship Westerdam, which left Seattle on Saturday for a seven-day round trip, the cruise line said in a statement.
Promech’s sightseeing flights around the Misty Fjords National Monument offer views of “towering granite cliffs, 1,000-foot waterfalls, lush and remote valleys and serene crystalline lakes,” the company says on its website.
In July 2013, four people on board a similar float plane owned by Promech were injured after the craft suffered engine failure and crashed into trees on nearby Prince of Wales Island, the Alaska Dispatch News reported. (Reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington and Steve Quinn in Juneau; Additional reporting by Curtis Skinner; Editing by Eric Beech and Clarence Fernandez)
Dive into a sea of information with our meticulously curated weekly “Dispatch” email. It’s more than just a newsletter; it’s your personal maritime briefing.
Dive into a sea of information with our meticulously curated weekly “Dispatch” email. It’s more than just a newsletter; it’s your personal maritime briefing.
(Bloomberg) — Russia’s state oil tanker company PJSC Sovcomflot said that US sanctions are putting pressure on its operations, the latest sign that the measures are complicating the delivery of...
March 11 (Reuters) – U.S. crude oil production lead global oil production for a sixth straight year, with a record breaking average production of 12.9 million barrels per day (bpd), the Energy...
BEIJING/MANILA, March 5 (Reuters) – The Philippines summoned China’s deputy chief of mission in Manila on Tuesday to protest what it called “aggressive actions” by Chinese naval forces against a resupply mission...
March 5, 2024
Total Views: 3624
Why Join gCaptain Club?
Be Informed: Stay updated with the latest maritime news and trends.
Connect: Network with a community of maritime professionals and enthusiasts.
Gain Insights: Receive exclusive content and personal perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.