Two dead as Taquan Air floatplane crashes for second time in a week

Two people are dead after a Taquan Air floatplane has been involved in a crash in Alaska for the second time in a week.

The victims were a pilot and passenger on a Taquan Air Beaver floatplane, according to a statement from the Ketchikan Gateway Borough. No one else was on the plane, according to the statement.

The circumstances of the crash are not being released at this time, the borough said, and the names of the deceased will not be released until next of kin have been notified.

Taquan Air also operated the Beaver floatplane that collided with another plane last week.

Six people died in that crash, one on the Taquan plane and five on the other plane. The passengers on both planes were guests on a Princess Cruises ship, the Royal Princess.

That crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Taquan Air directed all inquiries about the more recent incident to the NTSB. The agency said the plane involved in Monday’s crash was a commuter flight, not a sightseeing plane.

A floatplane is an aircraft with pontoons or floats that allow it to land on water.

A Coast Guard spokeswoman said they launched two 45-foot Response Boats from Coast Guard Station Ketchikan and one Air Station Sitka Jayhawk Helicopter to assist with the search but local good Samaritans and local emergency responders were able to assist before Coast Guard arrived on scene.