Flightseeing Plane Crash in Ketchikan

[just_dont]

Not involving Viking, but right ahead of Viking's debut in Alaska.

 

https://www.9news.com.au/world/news-us-at-least-10-injured-after-float-planes-collide-off-alaska/980b6d82-8cb7-4ccc-8a82-8776c6d56b71

 

Princess pax killed.

 

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[Captain_Morgan]

so sad to see this again....seems a very tragic semi-regular occurrence up there with these flight seeing tours.  although the majority come and go without incident, there does seem to be an all too often repeat of these tragedies.

my heart goes out to those affected but it will be interesting to see what the NTSB has to say....

[Hunding]

Captain_Morgan is right..."so sad to see this again...."  These fatal crashes occur with greater frequency than one is aware.  

[Pushka]

We were booked on a float plane trip in Ketchikan but cancelled a couple of weeks ago when our timings changed. Simply awful. I wonder if Viking might pull that excursion. 

[RynoWally]

We are looking at doing a cruise to Alaska in August (Undecided on the cruiseline, but was looking at Princess or Oceania) but this is one of the excursions we were thinking about doing, might have to do fly-fishing or ATV instead. Crazy how an instance can deter your thought, but there is no-way I can do one of these after reading about it. whether Viking pulls it or not, people need to be allowed to make there own informed decisions, and the tours will always be out there. I can't help but think that there is something wrong with regulations and what these planes have in reference to radars for flights to other planes in the air. I'm all for less government but this seems to be something where they need to intervene? Especially in Alaska where there are more and more of these lines going out there.

[Heidi13]

While this is truly a tragic accident with 2 float planes in Alaska, before cancelling flights, I suggest you need to consider this in perspective to the percentage of total float plane incidents on the West Coast. While I am not suggesting not to cancel, at least consider the big picture.

 

In BC & Alaska, float planes are the equivalent of city buses, with hundreds of float planes operating on the coast and inland. We sit on the balcony of our condo in Victoria Harbour and watch float planes land and take-off frequently throughout the day. Vancouver Harbour has an equal number. Even 30 miles inland from Vancouver we see float planes operating on local rivers and lakes almost daily.

 

While the TSB reports about 1 or 2 float plane incidents each year, I only recall 1 or 2 involving crashes with fatalities over the past 10 years. The incidents of fatalities is tiny compared to the total number of flights and passengers.

[philw1776]

In the 90s we took a spectacular helicopter tour in Kauai; sadly and for the right reasons it was discontinued after a series of fatal accidents.

Booked this Misty floatplane tour on Silversea for August.  

[Phillygirl3]

Agree with Heidi13.  We were sitting on our verandah on a Regent cruise to Alaska and could see the area where the planes landed and took off.  It was amazing to see the number of planes taking off in a matter of minutes, one behind the other and as many returning at the same rate.  Yes, it did look like public transportation.  However, with three ships in port in Ketchikan, I can imagine the number of people booking these flights as excursions.  

[Cienfuegos]

7 hours ago, Phillygirl3 said:

Agree with Heidi13.  We were sitting on our verandah on a Regent cruise to Alaska and could see the area where the planes landed and took off.  It was amazing to see the number of planes taking off in a matter of minutes, one behind the other and as many returning at the same rate.  Yes, it did look like public transportation.  However, with three ships in port in Ketchikan, I can imagine the number of people booking these flights as excursions.  

 

Yes, it looked like Fifth Avenue in Manhattan to me, as well.

 

However, with so much activity, a traffic cop is needed. Perhaps rules like the Grand Canyon and Hudson River circle tours share. Create "lanes"  for outbound / inbound,, and altitude separation. A head on crash should not happen...

Edited May 15, 2019 by Cienfuegos
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