Taquan Air floatplane crashes near Ketchikan for second time in a week; 2 dead
Two people were killed Monday when a Taquan Air floatplane crashed near Ketchikan, Alaska – the second deadly accident in a week involving the regional airline.
A pilot and a single passenger were the only people aboard the Beaver floatplane when it crashed into Metlakatla Harbor around 4 p.m. local time, according to a news release from the Ketchikan Gateway Borough. Their names haven’t been released pending family notification.
The cause and circumstances of the crash are under investigation. The weather and visibility were clear at the time, Jerry Kiffer, Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad incident commander, told the Juneau Empire.
“It’s our understanding that the aircraft was landing in the harbor,” Kiffer told the newspaper.
A Taquan Air Otter collided with a Mountain Air Service floatplane on May 13 over George Inlet near Ketchikan, killing six people and injuring 10 others. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating that crash.
The Taquan Air floatplane was carrying 10 passengers, all from the Royal Princess, which was stopped in Ketchikan on the second day of a weeklong trip to Anchorage. The plane had been on a sightseeing trip into Misty Fjords National Monument.
“It’s unusual,” Kiffer told the Empire. “We have had multiple fatal accidents before, but not in recent years. I don’t really recall there being something within a week.”
Metlakatla is about 14 miles from Ketchikan, the first city on Alaska’s Inside Passage.
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Taquan Air floatplane crashes near Ketchikan for second time in a week; 2 dead
