Kenmore Air seaplane crashes and catches fire near San Juan Islands

A Kenmore Air seaplane carrying 11 people crashed and caught fire near Sucia Island in Washington state, south of the Lower Mainland, with everyone on board rescued.

The aircraft, carrying a pilot and 10 passengers, crashed at about 5:20 PM on Thursday in Shallow Bay, near the San Juan Islands, according to the US Coast Guard.

Videos shared on social media appeared to show the seaplane flying low over the water before making a hard landing, striking the rocky shoreline and catching fire.

Witnesses rushed to help as passengers escaped the aircraft before flames engulfed the fuselage.

In a statement, the US Coast Guard said: “An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast was issued to mariners in the area, and numerous good Samaritan vessels responded to assist.”

Kenmore Air chief executive David Gudgel said: “We are grateful that everyone aboard has been accounted for.”

He added the airline had cancelled all scheduled flights on Friday and was assisting investigators. Gudgel also said: “we will not speculate regarding the cause of the accident.”

The Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating the crash. The aircraft, a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter, had departed Seattle's Lake Union and was travelling to Roche Harbor Seaplane Base on San Juan Island when the accident happened.