One person died and nine others were unaccounted for in a floatplane crash Sunday afternoon near Whidbey Island.
The plane crashed in Mutiny Bay, west of Whidbey Island, with nine adults and one child on board, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. It was traveling from Friday Harbor en route to Renton when it crashed shortly after 3 p.m.
Whidbey Island floatplane crash
The body of a female was recovered, a Coast Guard spokesperson said.
The plane was a de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Turbine Otter, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the crash. Northwest Seaplanes was the owner of the plane, Chief Petty Officer William Colclough confirmed Sunday. The charter service is based in Renton, according to its website.
The cause of the crash was unknown Sunday night as the search continued, the Coast Guard said. At the time, weather conditions near Mutiny Bay were scattered clouds, with a visibility of 10 miles, according to the National Weather Service.
A Coast Guard helicopter rescue crew responded, along with several boat crews. Officials from South Whidbey Fire and EMS, the Island County Sheriff’s Office, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and the Everett Fire Department were also on the scene.
By 10 p.m. Sunday, there were only a couple crews still searching. A Coast Guard spokesperson said additional search crews would return early Monday.
The Coast Guard initially reported the plane carried eight adults and one child, but it updated the number about three hours later.