A Kenmore Air seaplane went down in the water near Sucia Island on July 23, 2026, and all 11 people aboard were rescued. The aircraft was later linked to Flight 140, which had left Lake Union in Seattle and was headed for Roche Harbor on San Juan Island.
That is why the crash drew immediate attention on Thursday. It was not only a water landing in a busy stretch of the San Juan Islands, but a scheduled flight with 10 passengers and one pilot on board, turning a routine trip into a multi-agency rescue operation before evening had even settled in.
Kenmore Air said the aircraft became involved in an accident in Shallow Bay near Sucia Island at about 5:15 p.m., roughly 45 minutes after departure. Emergency crews, including the U.S. Coast Guard and local responders, reached the scene and helped move everyone aboard to care. The airline said two injured passengers were taken to a hospital in Bellingham, two others were transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, and seven additional passengers were being taken to a U.S. Coast Guard base for further evaluation.
Kenmore Air CEO David Gudgel said in a statement that one of the company’s aircraft had been involved in an accident near Sucia Island and that everyone aboard had been accounted for. He said the company’s immediate focus was making sure the passengers and pilot received the care and support they needed, and he thanked the United States Coast Guard, local emergency responders and everyone assisting in the response.
The unanswered question is the one that matters most now: what caused the de Havilland DHC-3 Otter to go down. Kenmore Air said it had activated its emergency response procedures and was cooperating with investigators, but it would not speculate on the cause. For the people who were on board, the worst part of the night is already known. For everyone else, the explanation is still to come.
