The NTSB is collecting wreckage of the float-equipped de Havilland Canada DHC-3T single-engine Turbine Otter that crashed into Puget Sound, Washington, on September 4 during a Part 135 sightseeing flight. The pilot and all nine passengers died in the accident.
Major sections of the aircraft settled on the sea floor, but the NTSB said the depth and motion of the water hid the wreckage until September 12. Friday Harbor Seaplane Tours, operator of the aircraft, is a sister company of registered owner Northwest Seaplanes, which is based on South Lake Washington near Seattle.
In a statement issued shortly after the accident, the companies said they are "heartbroken. We don't know any details yet regarding the cause of the accident. We are working with the FAA, NTSB, and Coast Guard. We have been in communication with the families [of those aboard]. We are praying for the families involved, including our pilot and his family. When we know more we will provide an update."
According to the Flight Safety Foundation's Aviation Safety Network, single-engine Turbine Otters have been involved in 41 accidents or major incidents since 1984. Twelve of those accidents resulted in 47 fatalities.