NTSB Releases Preliminary Report on Seattle Seaplane Accident, Including Witness Accounts

Monday, September 19, 2022 at 09:06 AM ET

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The wreckage was located using side scan sonar, multibeam sonar, and 3D instruments. [Courtesy: University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory]

Key Takeaways:

The NTSB has released a preliminary report on a fatal seaplane crash near Seattle involving nine adults and one child, reviewing the pilot's experience, aircraft maintenance, and weather conditions.
FAA tracking data shows the seaplane's altitude and airspeed fluctuated significantly before a rapid, near-vertical descent into Mutiny Bay, consistent with witness accounts of the aircraft pitching down or spinning.
The pilot was experienced with over 4,600 flight hours, and the aircraft had undergone its most recent 100-hour inspection, addressing recurring airworthiness directives, just three days before the accident.
The wreckage has been located at a depth of 190 feet, and the U.S. Navy will assist with recovery efforts using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) starting later this month.

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The National Transportation Safety Board has released the preliminary report on the fatal seaplane accident near Seattle on Labor Day weekend. The NTSB has reviewed the aircraft’s maintenance records, the experience level of the pilot, and weather at the time of the accident.

Nine adults and one child were onboard the de Havilland DHC-3 Turbine Otter that went down September 4 in Mutiny Bay off Whidbey Island. The aircraft was registered to Northwest Seaplanes, a Part 135 operation. The aircraft was on a flight between Friday Harbor Seaplane Base (W33) and Renton Municipal Airport (KRNT). It was the pilot’s second flight of the day.