Two floatplanes collide midair near Ketchikan, AK

[pennyk]

It appears that the passengers on the planes were cruise passengers on an excursion.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...vdtEV0koYu9c7V4CDpOVhnNIE61wS0vMYa95BvVfKNeLk

Five people are dead and 10 others hospitalized after two floatplanes collided in midair on Monday near the southeast Alaska town of Ketchikan.

The pilot on each plane was flying cruise ship passengers on tours, Princess Cruises said in a statement. All five people aboard the de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver died, the cruise line said. The other plane, a de Havilland Otter DHC-3, carried 11 people.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

In a blink of a eye...

 

[Asher]

There is a lot of activity with the float plane tours in Ketchikan. That along with a short time frame makes for dubious safety issues.

 

[JRR]

There is a tour that goes to the Misty Fiords. The boat takes a group out and meets the float plane which brings passengers out for the return on the boat, and the boat passengers return by float plane. The exchange is made at a large wooden float. It’s a great trip. Since we were not cruise passengers, we went both ways (we took the Alaska Marine Highway from Bellingham to Ketchikan.

 

[Dakota 400]

I have experienced two small plane flights in Alaska: a Misty Fjords tour such as the ones that had the problem. But, I recall the plane on which I was aboard was larger than the smaller one involved in this accident. The other flight was from Juneau to Taku Lodge and it was also on a larger plane than the small one at Ketchikan. There is not much interior room for passengers to move. When needing to evacuate in an emergency, it'd be difficult. If one has problems of needing to arise from a seat and move to an exit rapidly, based upon my experience, it would be nearly impossible. These tours are magnificent for what they offer. For a senior citizen who is not as mobile as one what was, in a need to exit quickly, may God help you.

 

[Dakota 400]

Based upon what I have read online, the two missing guests, a Canadian and an Australian, have been found both, unfortunately, deceased. From reports, again, Princess Cruises is performing very well in assisting those guests who were injured as well as their families.