Two people were killed on Monday after a Taquan Air floatplane crashed off the coast of Ketchikan, Alaska – the regional airline’s second deadly accident within a week.
A pilot and a passenger aboard the single-propeller Beaver floatplane were both killed when it crashed into the Metlakatla Harbor at 4pm yesterday, the Ketchikan Gateway Borough said.
Neither of the two victims have been identified pending family notification, but officials say they were the only people on-board.
The cause and circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation, but the weather was clear and visibility was optimum, according to Jerry Kiffer, Incident Commander for Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad.
A pilot and a passenger aboard the single-propeller Beaver floatplane (file photo of a similar aircraft seen above) were both killed when it crashed into the Metlakatla Harbor at 4pm yesterday
By the time rescue squad personnel arrived at the scene, the two people aboard the plane had already been removed and good Samaritans have secured the plane in the harbor (Metlakatla Harbor pictured above)
‘It was a typical Ketchikan day,’ Kiffer told the Juneau Empire. ‘It’s our understanding that the aircraft was landing in the harbor [before it crashed].’
Kiffer added that by the time rescue squad personnel arrived at the scene, the two people aboard the plane had already been removed and good Samaritans have secured the plane in the harbor.
This is the second Taquan Air Beaver floatplane to be involved in a deadly crash in the last seven days.
‘It’s unusual,’ Kiffer said. ‘We have had multiple fatal accidents before, but not in recent years. I don’t recall there being something within a week.’
On May 13, six people were killed and 10 others injured when a Taquan Air flight collided in mid-air with a Mountain Air plane 3,300 feet above the skies of Ketchikan.
Both of the aircrafts had been shepherding tourists from a cruise ship to the shore when the collision occurred.
Six people were killed in the devastating crash including four Americans, a Canadian, and an Australian. One of the crashed sea planes pictured above in the George Inlet near Ketchikan, Alaska
Emergency crews pictured above transporting an injured passenger on Monday
Retired fisherman Chuck Hanas was out on his boat with his wife Colleen when they saw the violent crash and the planes fall into the water.
'It was just me. I was at the right place at the right time,' Hanas said to the Today show.
'I got in close and saw people bobbing all over the place. I didn’t know how many. And then they had seen me and one lady said "Help, Help!"' he added.
They called the Coast Guard after seeing the plane horrifically crash and fall in the George Inlet in southeast Alaska.
'It was shocking to see an airplane hit the water that hard and rip the floats off and turn upside down at the same time. I’m not sure anybody was even able to get out of there,' he said.
'I was kind of running on autopilot at that point. I didn’t really think anything other than I was just trying to get the people out of the water,' he added.
He said he saw an injured pilot with bloody lacerations to his face also scramble to get passengers to safety.
'He didn’t speak but he did shake my hand,' Hanas recalled on working together to pull the passengers out of the icy water before hypothermia set in.
Hero retired fisherman Chuck Hanas pulled victims of Monday's sea plane crash in Alaska onto his boat after seeing the planes plunged into water and victims 'bobbing in the water'
The two sea planes crashed midair at 3,300 feet after taking off from Ketchikan, Alaska. One plane then fell into the George Inlet
Six people died in the collision including four Americans, a Canadian, and an Australian.
Among those victims was a newly
