Dehavilland DHC-3 accident near Eastsound, Washington, July 24, 2026
On July 24, 2026, a 1960 Dehavilland DHC-3, registered N709KA, was destroyed in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Eastsound, Washington. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 people were seriously injured and 8 people had minor injuries.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 2026
- Place
- Eastsound, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 8 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Dehavilland DHC-3, built 1960 · all DHC-3s on the register
- Registration
- N709KA · registry record · serial 410
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On July 23, 2026, about 1720 Pacific daylight time, a De Havilland DHC-3 Otter airplane, N709KA, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Eastsound, Washington. The pilot and two passengers were seriously injured, and eight passengers sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 scheduled air taxi flight. According to the operator, the flight originated from Kenmore Sea Base (W55), Seattle, Washington at 1630 with scheduled stops at Roche Harbor (WA03), Roche Harbor, Washington and Friday Harbor (W33), Friday Harbor, Washington. Preliminary ADS-B data showed that the airplane departed W55 about 1633 and maintained about 500 to 1,000 ft mean sea level (msl). The airplane remained over the water and generally travelled north over Rosario Strait. Once northwest of Lummi Island, the airplane turned west and passed north of Sucia Island. The operator stated that the pilot radioed the company operations center and reported inclement weather, which precluded the flight from continuing to WA03. The pilot informed the operator that he would return to Sucia Island, land, and wait for the weather to improve. The operator reported that there were multiple bays around Sucia Island where the pilot was authorized to land. ADS-B data showed that about 1619, when the airplane was about 11 miles northeast of WA03, it turned right about 180° and flew about 5 miles towards Sucia Island. Video imagery, from a witness who was near Shallow Bay, Sucia Island, showed the airplane at a low altitude and a nose-high attitude descending towards the water. When the airplane was about 4 ft above the water, the left wing dropped and the left wingtip and left pontoon float impacted the water. The airplane then landed with both pontoon floats on the water and continued forward where it subsequently impacted rocks. A passenger on the airplane reported that multiple small boats immediately arrived to remove the passengers from the accident site. A postaccident fire destroyed the fuselage after all passengers and the pilot had exited. The airplane was recovered to a secure hanger for further examination.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: fixed
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Kenmore Air Harbor LLC
The flight
- Departed from: W55 Seattle WA at 11:30 pm
- Destination: WA03 Roche Harbor WA
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 7 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR26LA274.