‘Going to be extremely challenging’: Efforts begin to pull up Whidbey Island floatplane wreckage
Sep 26, 2022, 9:45 AM
(KIRO 7)
(KIRO 7)
Efforts to pull up wreckage from fatal Whidbey Island floatplane crash begin Monday
On Monday, officials with the National Transportation Safety Board will be pulling up the wreckage of a floatplane that crashed off Whidbey Island earlier this month.
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The NTSB found the sunken plane a few weeks ago, but with a current of 3 to 5 knots, conditions were too dangerous for divers. A remotely operated vehicle was used to get to the plane.
On Monday, crews will use a remote-controlled barge and crane to pull up the plane.
The Sept. 4 crash into Mutiny Bay killed nine adults and a child. So far, only one person’s body has been recovered.
The investigation and preparations have been ongoing for recovering all the victims, but Monday’s efforts will focus on raising the wreckage.
KIRO 7 spoke with a dive team expert who specializes in recovering cars.
He said recovering the plane will be a slow and challenging process.
“Even with a (remotely operated vehicle), it is going to be extremely challenging to be able to bring this plane up safely as well as containing the evidence inside of this plane,” said Doug Bishop, lead diver for Adventures with Purpose.
The NTSB will be working with the U.S. Navy to recover the wreck, which is about 190 feet underwater, from the bottom.
The investigation into what caused the crash is ongoing.
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