Kenmore Air to resume flights Saturday after internal review

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the Kenmore Air seaplane crash near Sucia Island on Thursday evening , when a Havilland DHC-3 Otter floatplane headed for Roach Harbor went down. The floatplane impacted the water and subsequently caught fire, according to the NTSB. WATCH: Kenmore Air seaplane crashes near Sucia Island; all 11 aboard rescued The airline confirmed there were 10 passengers and one pilot on board when the plane crashed. Injured passengers were taken to hospitals, and after tumultuous rescue efforts involving numerous agencies, everyone on board has been accounted for. Kenmore Air canceled all scheduled flights Friday following Thursday's crash as the airline said it plans to focus on supporting the passengers, pilot, families, employees and emergency response efforts. PHOTOS: 11 survive fiery seaplane crash near Sucia Island The aircraft is expected to be recovered Friday and moved to a secure facility for further examination, investigators said. Six of the survivors were taken to PeaceHealth St. Joseph in Bellingham on Thursday. One person was transferred to Harborview Medical Center, and another was reported in satisfactory condition, and four were treated and discharged. Four other passengers who survived the crash were taken to PeaceHealth Peace Hospital on San Juan Island. One of the patients was transferred to Harborview Medical Center from San Juan Island; three patients have been discharged, according to hospital officials. Harborview officials said both patients there — a man and a woman in their 20s — are in satisfactory condition. WATCH: How weather played a role in the Kenmore seaplane crash with 11 people on board Ecology crews and Lummi Nation spill responders were at the crash site Friday removing aircraft debris from the water and assessing potential environmental impacts, according to the Washington Department of Ecology. VOTE: Has this incident changed how you feel about flying on a seaplane? The NTSB said it will not hold a media briefing. As part of the investigation, NTSB investigators will collect radar data, weather information, maintenance records and the pilot's medical records. Investigators will examine human, mechanical and environmental factors as part of the inquiry. The agency said a preliminary report containing factual information gathered during the initial phase of the investigation is expected within 30 days. A final report, which will determine the probable cause of the crash and identify any contributing factors, is expected to be completed in 12 to 24 months. John Nance, an aviation analyst and former commercial pilot, said weather conditions at the time of the crash suggest the pilot may have encountered a rapidly developing thunderstorm while approaching Roche Harbor. "It would make sense to wait it out rather than to fly through a thunderstorm," Nance said. Nance said weather data indicates a small but intense thunderstorm developed along the aircraft's flight path as it approached Roche Harbor. "A small but very effective thunderstorm had just popped up coming from the southwest to the northeast at exactly the same time the plane was approaching Roche Harbor," he said. "The weather conditions at the time of the accident indicate it would have been very reasonable for any airman who is inbound for Roche Harbor to not tangle with a thunderstorm and maybe turn around and find a safe place to float while it went by." Despite the crash, Nance said the De Havilland Beaver has a strong reputation for reliability and durability. In a statement, Kenmore Air said it will resume flight operations Saturday following an internal review and coordination with the appropriate authorities. "Safety remains our highest priority, and we continue to fully cooperate with the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation into Thursday's incident. Any conclusions about contributing factors will come from the NTSB. Our thoughts remain with those involved and their families, and we continue to wish everyone a full recovery." 2022 Whidbey Island crash Thursday's crash comes nearly four years after another deadly floatplane crash involving the same model of aircraft in Washington. On Sept. 4, 2022, a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter operated by Friday Harbor Seaplanes crashed into Mutiny Bay off Whidbey Island while flying from Friday Harbor to Renton. Witnesses reported the plane suddenly pitched nose-down and plunged into Puget Sound, killing the pilot and all nine passengers on board. The wreckage rested about 190 feet below the surface, prompting a weeks-long recovery operation involving the U.S. Navy, which recovered roughly 85% of the aircraft from the seafloor for investigators to examine. Within weeks, the National Transportation Safety Board said investigators had identified a potential safety issue involving the airplane's flight control system. The agency issued an urgent recommendation calling for immediate inspections of the same component on DHC-3 Otter aircraft worldwide to help prevent another crash. A year later, the NTSB concluded that a single failure in the aircraft's tail control system caused the plane to become uncontrollable and enter a near-vertical dive before hitting the water. Investigators said the failure occurred before impact, not because of the crash. The board urged regulators in the U.S. and Canada to require additional safeguards on the aircraft to reduce the risk of a similar failure in the future. Investigators have not indicated whether Thursday's crash near Sucia Island is connected to any of the issues identified in the Mutiny Bay investigation. The cause of the latest crash remains under investigation.