NTSB Releases Preliminary Report on Otter Crash

Pilot was attempting to avoid bad weather, agency says.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, August 21, 2026 at 12:02 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Zach Vasile

A Kenmore Air de Havilland DHC-3 Otter [Credit: Stephen Yeates]

Key Takeaways:

The de Havilland DHC-3 Otter floatplane crashed in Washington state last month after its pilot diverted to Sucia Island to avoid inclement weather.
During the emergency landing attempt, the aircraft's left wing dropped, impacting the water before the plane landed on its floats and subsequently struck rocks.
The crash caused substantial damage to the aircraft, seriously injuring the pilot and two passengers, and minor injuries to eight others, with the plane catching fire after passenger evacuation.

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The pilot of the de Havilland DHC-3 Otter floatplane that crashed last month in Washington state was trying to avoid inclement weather, according to a preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The accident took place on July 23, around 5:20 p.m. local time near Eastsound. The aircraft, N709KA, was substantially damaged and the pilot and two passengers were seriously injured. Eight passengers sustained minor injuries in the crash. The airplane was operated by Kenmore Air as a Part 135 scheduled air taxi flight.