Plane crash in Ketchikan cruise excursions

Found out I used to work with one of the guys who was killed in this tragedy. We were never particularly close and hadn’t seen each other in years, but his office was across the hall from mine for at least a year. His wife was killed as well (he met her after we lost touch). Sad…

A good line and something many military personnel live by even if they don't know the line. My DH was in the Medical Corps of the Air Force.

Some of us have dealt with violent deaths either by accident or design...either way..as the midget once asked Clint in HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER.."what happens after?''...and Clint of course, tersely replies…"you live with it.."

I am just glad my DH is no longer in the “aircraft accident investigation” business! He hasn’t ever been able to tell me everything about some of the ones he has done, but enough to know he is often “haunted” by some of them.

On other forums and news articles comments, some question safety records, but it is difficult to compare aircraft accident records unless size and volume are taken into consideration. For instance----Taquan Air Service was Incorporated in August 1977 by 1997 the company appeared on the cover of Alaska Business Monthly. At that point they were flying to 30 destinations, they had hubs in both Ketchikan and Sitka, and were flying to B.C. they had become an international air carrier. Taquan was then the largest floatplane company in the world, and the second largest commuter airline in Alaska, having boarded 243,000 people in 1997.

I previously mentioned that both pilots could have been distracted by something on the ground. Doesn't look like that now since both aircraft were apparently returning after sightseeing at relatively high altitudes. The board no doubt is going to pay particular attention to why or why not the two pilots were not communicating their locations and intentions over the Common Traffic Advisory frequency established for this area. This would have been important as both aircraft were leaving high altitudes in the Misty Fiords Monument of the Tongass National Forest en-route back to their sea level bases near Ketchikan on Revillagigedo Island.

In addition, the NTSB is interested in "transponders" on the accident aircraft probably because of this---"The Airborne Collision Avoidance System II (ACAS II) was introduced in order to reduce the risk of mid-air collisions between aircraft. It serves as a last-resort safety net irrespective of any separation standards. "ACAS II is an aircraft system based on (SSR) transponder signals. ACAS II interrogates the Mode C and Mode S transponders of nearby aircraft (‘intruders’) and from the replies tracks their altitude and range and issues alerts to the pilots, as appropriate. ACAS II will not detect non-transponder-equipped aircraft and will not issue any resolution advice for traffic without altitude reporting transponder."

The bodies of the two missing passengers have been found.

I guess there are two missing still. Both from the Beaver. They found the missing passenger from the Otter last night, in the sunken fuselage. The Beaver got the worst of it and came apart in the air. The Otter managed to limp onto the water close to shore. The passengers had to swim a bit.

Yes, sure is sad. Looks like five gone and one missing and presumed dead. We sure didn't need this. All five in the Beaver perished and one in the Otter, maybe. Reports are that there were 11,000 guest from cruise ships in port there.

Have a friend who spots salmon from the air during the commercial season at Ketchikan, he says there is an enormous amount of air traffic all over the place when visitation is at its peak. A friend of his who was out flying down there yesterday but didn't know about the mid-air was on the phone with him and said that something is up, as suddenly all sorts of rescue type activity heading up George Inlet.

My guess is that the two aircraft collided when circling around something in the water, like whales etc. There has been more than one accident where the pilot wasn't paying attention to flying as much as he was something on the ground. The most noted was an United Airline Douglas DC-6 and a TWA Lockheed Constellation over the Grand Canyon in 1956, both circling to give the passengers a good look at the Canyon. All perished. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1956_Grand_Canyon_mid-air_collision

Very Sad! My thoughts and prayers go out to all involved.

Very sad to hear. Prayers to all of those in need of comfort after this tragedy.