NTSB Category Archives — Maritime Injury Law Blog Published by Alaska & Washington Maritime Injury Lawyers

On Thursday evening July 23, 2026, a Kenmore Air floatplane carrying ten passengers and a pilot went down in Shallow Bay near Sucia Island in the San Juan Islands. The aircraft made an emergency landing on the water and later caught fire. Every single person on board survived, and that outcome is a tribute to all the people who responded.

The U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Navy, the Canadian Coast Guard, San Juan County Sheriff’s boats, Washington State Park rangers, Airlift Northwest, and Bellingham Fire Department EMS all worked together to get eleven people off the water and to a higher level of care. However, before any official responders arrived, good Samaritans who were nearby pulled people from the wreckage, tied their boats together to make a stable platform, and started treating injuries with the first aid supplies they had on hand. That is the kind of immediate response and teamwork that is needed when it comes to saving lives on the water.

We write most often about commercial fishing crews and maritime worker safety, but this accident is a good reminder that the water off Washington and British Columbia can be remote, it is cold, and it takes time for official responders to arrive. Sucia Island is only reachable by boat or helicopter, and the agencies involved train for exactly this kind of coordinated response. If you have ever been on a boat that assisted in a rescue, or if your vessel has served as a stable platform for injured people the way these good Samaritan vessels did on Thursday, you understand that the swift actions by those in the area may very well have saved lives.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued its findings on the fire incident that engulfed the F/V KODIAK ENTERPRISE on April 8, 2023. At around 3:00AM, a fire broke out aboard the commercial F/V KODIAK ENTERPRISE while it was docked at the Trident Seafoods facility in Tacoma, Washington.

The initial sighting of the fire came from a deckhand aboard a neighboring vessel. A Trident security guard was alerted, who in turn notified a Trident official. The official then alerted the four crewmembers who were sleeping onboard during the scheduled overhaul. Fortunately, all emerged unharmed from the incident.

The fire raged for six days until first responders finally declared it extinguished on April 14th. No pollution or injuries were reported from the incident. However, the F/V KODIAK ENTERPRISE, valued at an estimated $56.6 million, was declared a total loss.

Articles Posted in NTSB

Seaplane Crash Near Sucia Island Shows What Good Rescue Coordination Looks Like

Fire Alarm Aboard F/V Kodiak Enterprise Never Sent an Alert