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NTSB identifies Kenmore Air DHC-3 Otter in Eastsound crash

The aircraft involved in the July 23 accident near Eastsound, Washington, has been identified as N709KA, according to the NTSB's preliminary report.

2 reports on this incident · first at Aug 21, 2026, 12:15 p.m. ET

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 21, 2026, 12:02 p.m. ETWritten Aug 21, 2026, 12:22 p.m. ET
The National Transportation Safety Board has identified the aircraft involved in the July 23 accident near , Washington, as a , registration , according to its report. The pilot was attempting to avoid inclement weather at the time, the report states. The aircraft was substantially damaged; the pilot and two passengers were seriously injured, and eight passengers sustained minor injuries, the report says. The flight was operated as a Part 135 scheduled air taxi flight by . Registry records list the registered owner as Harbor LLC; the owner of record is not necessarily the operator of the flight. The aircraft was built in 1960, according to registry records. The cause of the accident has not been determined. The NTSB has released a report and is continuing its investigation.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 21, 2026, 12:15 p.m. ETFirst report

    NTSB Preliminary Report on Kenmore Air DHC-3 Otter Crash Near Eastsound

    The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report on the crash of a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter near Eastsound, Washington, on July 23, 2026, according to Flying Magazine. The aircraft, registration N709KA, was substantially damaged. The pilot and two passengers were seriously injured, and eight passengers sustained minor injuries, Flying Magazine reported. The flight was operated as a Part 135 scheduled air taxi flight by Kenmore Air.

    The pilot was reportedly attempting to avoid inclement weather at the time of the accident, according to the preliminary report. The cause of the accident has not been determined. The NTSB is investigating.

    Weather observations recorded at Orcas Island Airport, 0.8 miles away, 25 minutes after the reported time, showed wind from 170 degrees at 12 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, broken clouds at 12,000 feet, and a temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit. These conditions are not stated to have caused the accident.

    Aircraft registry records list the registered owner of N709KA as Kenmore Air Harbor LLC. The owner of record is not necessarily the operator of the flight. The aircraft is a 1960 Dehavilland DHC-3, according to registry records.

    Kenmore Air Harbor LLC, doing business as Kenmore Air, is a regional airline based in Kenmore, Washington. The company's other cases include a 2016 accident involving a De Havilland Beaver at Lopez Island, Washington. The DHC-3 type has 11 other cases in the NTSB database since 2008, four of which involved a fatality. These records do not indicate the cause of this accident.

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Reference data

From aircraft and geographic registries, not from the news sources. Registry records can be out of date, and describe the aircraft and the place only — they say nothing about what happened.

Registration
N709KA
Type
Dehavilland DHC-3 — single-engine piston landplane
Engines
P&W CANADA PT6A-34
Built
1960-01-01 (66 years old)
Registered owner
Kenmore Air Harbor LlcThe owner of record is not necessarily the operator, the pilot, or otherwise connected to the flight.
Terrain elevation
52 ft
Nearest aerodrome
0.8 miles SSE of Orcas Island Airport (KORS/ESD)

Sources

Revision history

  1. Version 121 Aug 2026, 16:22current

    First published.

  2. Version 121 Aug 2026, 16:15current

    First published.

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