A plane full of tourists on the way from Seattle, Washington, crashed in Southeast Alaska on Thursday afternoon at 12:20 pm local time.
Eight tourists and one pilot on board a DHC-3 Otter plane were killed. The plane was carrying cruise ship passengers on a Holland America Line Cruise.
The floatplane, operating a shore excursion through the cruise line, was involved in an accident approximately 20 miles northeast of Ketchikan, near Ella Lake, Seattle-based Holland America confirmed.
The guests were sailing on the Westerdam, which left Seattle on June 20.
Alaska State Troopers said a helicopter pilot spotted the downed plane around 2 p.m., approximately 800 feet above the lake in the Misty Fjords area. An emergency locator transmitter was activated near the same area.
The floatplane was owned by Promech Air, the largest air taxi in southeast Alaska. Promech has operated in the area for 30 years.
WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:
- The floatplane, operating a shore excursion through the cruise line, was involved in an accident approximately 20 miles northeast of Ketchikan, near Ella Lake, Seattle-based Holland America confirmed.
- A plane full of tourists on the way from Seattle, Washington, crashed in Southeast Alaska on Thursday afternoon at 12.
- The plane was carrying cruise ship passengers on a Holland America Line Cruise.
