A scenic flight off the Washington coast turned into a terrifying fireball when a floatplane carrying 11 people crashed into the water and burst into flames during an attempted emergency landing.
The single-engine de Havilland DHC-3, operated by Kenmore Air, went down Thursday evening in Shallow Bay near Sucia Island, a popular boating and camping destination in the San Juan Islands.
The aircraft had taken off from Seattle and was headed to Roche Harbor when trouble struck about 45 minutes into the flight. Authorities said the crash happened around 5:15 p.m., ending what should have been a routine trip with a dramatic wreck just off the rocky shoreline.
Video from the scene showed the plane broken apart and engulfed in flames as it floated in the water. Thick smoke rose from the wreckage while emergency crews rushed to the area.
WATCH: Kenmore Air plane carrying at least 10 crashes near Sucia Island in Washington’s San Juan Islands pic.twitter.com/r7Dv30e79t
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Incredibly, all 10 passengers and the pilot survived.
But the crash still left a frightening trail of injuries. The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office said one person was critically hurt, while others suffered head wounds, broken bones, lacerations and other injuries.
The U.S. Coast Guard transported two injured passengers to a hospital in Bellingham. Two others were taken to Orcas Island for medical treatment, according to authorities.
Kenmore Air Chief Executive Officer David Gudgel confirmed the plane belonged to the company and said he was thankful everyone on board had been found after the terrifying crash.
“I’m grateful that everyone aboard has been accounted for,” Gudgel said.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are now investigating what went wrong and what caused the aircraft to make an emergency landing before erupting into flames.
Weather may become one focus of the probe. Thunderstorms were moving through the area around the time of the crash, with wind gusts reaching up to 20 mph.
For now, officials have not said whether weather, mechanical trouble, pilot decisions or another factor caused the aircraft to go down.
The fiery crash rattled the normally peaceful waters near Sucia Island, where floatplanes are a familiar sight. But Thursday’s emergency landing quickly became a nightmare scene as the aircraft hit the water, broke apart and burned.
The fact that everyone aboard survived stunned many who saw the dramatic aftermath.
What began as a short flight through one of the Pacific Northwest’s most scenic regions ended in a violent crash, a desperate rescue effort and a federal investigation into how a plane carrying 11 people became a burning wreck in the water.