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U.S. Coast Guard ends search for 9 missing in float plane crash near Whidbey Island

daftandbarmy

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How tragic - 10 dead. I've travelled in these planes alot and have never had a problem.

I'm sure there are some USCG folks who are pretty upset at not being able to find anything...

U.S. Coast Guard ends search for 9 missing in float plane crash near Whidbey Island​


One person has died and nine are still missing after a float plane crashed Sunday in Puget Sound in Washington state, the U.S. Coast Guard says.

WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash. (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search Monday afternoon for nine people, including a child, who were missing after a floatplane crashed in the waters of Puget Sound northwest of Seattle.

The body of a 10th person, an unidentified female, was recovered by a good Samaritan on Sunday after the crash was reported at 3:11 p.m., Scott Giard, director of the U.S. Coast Guard's search and rescue for the Pacific Northwest, said at a new conference.

Just after noon on Monday, the Coast Guard said it was suspending the search for survivors after “saturating an area” of more than 2,100 square nautical miles (nearly 2,800 square miles or 7,250 square kilometers.

“All next of kin have been notified of this decision," the Coast Guard said on Twitter. "Our hearts go out to the families, loved ones and friends of those who remain missing and the deceased.”

The Northwest Seaplanes flight left Friday Harbor, a popular tourist destination in the San Juan Islands, and was headed to Renton Municipal Airport, the company's base, said Coast Guard spokesperson William Colclough.

The plane went down in Mutiny Bay off Whidbey Island, roughly 30 miles (50 kilometers) northwest of downtown Seattle and about halfway between Friday Harbor and Renton, a suburb south of Seattle.

The Coast Guard learned through the seaplane company's owner that two Friday Harbor seaplanes took off Sunday afternoon and the owner was aboard one of the flights, Giard said. The owner told authorities he saw the other plane divert slightly off course and he tried to make radio contact but was unable to.

“Shortly after that, he noticed on his flight tracker that the flight had stopped tracking and notified authorities," Giard said.

Officials received reports that “the aircraft dropped suddenly at a fair amount of speed and hit the water,” Giard said. “We don't have any video or pictures of the incident as of this moment.”

There was no distress call or distress beacon from the crashing plane, he said. The aircraft has an electronic locating transmitter onboard, but they have not received any transmission, he said.

 
Very sad news. RIP to those lost and hopefully there is closure in the days to come.
 
Very sad news. RIP to those lost and hopefully there is closure in the days to come.
I saw a heli crash in 1984, and the Nimrod crash at the Toronto airshow. In both cases, they went down hard, with no chances of survivors. RIP.
 
I saw a heli crash in 1984, and the Nimrod crash at the Toronto airshow. In both cases, they went down hard, with no chances of survivors. RIP.
Sadly all too true, Weinie. I was on the Eastern breakwater at Ontario Place, just across from where the Nimrod hit. Pretty much knew they were done when I saw the nose slice after the steep bank going into the descending turn. It was like watching a bad movie in super slow motion and you knew the ending, but had to watch it to the end. 😞
 
Sadly all too true, Weinie. I was on the Eastern breakwater at Ontario Place, just across from where the Nimrod hit. Pretty much knew they were done when I saw the nose slice after the steep bank going into the descending turn. It was like watching a bad movie in super slow motion and you knew the ending, but had to watch it to the end. 😞

Coincidentally:


Memorial to those killed in three Nimrod crashes unveiled at Morayvia​

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/author/lorettahood/
A survivor of the 1980 Kinloss Nimrod crash officially opened a new memorial to fallen airmen today.

Alistair Mackie was one of 18 men who managed to free themselves from the wreckage after the jet went down due to a bird strike. The pilot and co-pilot were killed.

Now more than 40 years on, Mr Mackie returned to the spot where the plane landed to unveil a memorial to those killed in three Nimrod disasters.

Fifteen years later, in 1995, a Nimrod crashed during a display at Toronto Air Show. All seven crew were killed.

In 2006, 14 British servicemen were killed in a crash involving a Nimrod MR2 in Afghanistan.

Today, families of those lost gathered for the “poignant” event to mark the memorial unveiling.

The ceremony took place in front of the tail fin from the Canadian Nimrod crash in 1995.

Transported over from Canada and restored for the memorial unveiling, it was described as a unique and “fitting” tribute to those lost.


 
Sadly all too true, Weinie. I was on the Eastern breakwater at Ontario Place, just across from where the Nimrod hit. Pretty much knew they were done when I saw the nose slice after the steep bank going into the descending turn. It was like watching a bad movie in super slow motion and you knew the ending, but had to watch it to the end. 😞
They had a SAR bird in the air within seconds of the NIMROD crash. A (former girlfriend of mine), whose brother was a SAR tech, and who dived that day, said that all he could see when he went into the water was reflections, because the NIMROD was so shredded, and the metal reflected the sunlight. It was in about 50 feet of water

The sadder thing is the interview the day before, with City News in Toronto, with the RAF pilot stating" We will be flying this plane on the edge". Sadly, he flew the plane over the edge. I will never forget the look on the face on the RAF crew member who was sitting in the section directly in front of me when the crash occurred. He lost many friends/crew that day.
 
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