ISLAND COUNTY, Wash. — Editor's note: The video playing originally aired on Thursday, Sept. 9.
The floatplane was flying from Friday Harbor to Renton Municipal Airport in a scheduled commercial commuter flight when it crashed on Sept. 4.
Here's what we know about the victims on board, what led up to the crash, what witnesses saw and the recovery efforts.
Leading up to the crash
The plane was flying from Friday Harbor, a popular tourist destination in the San Juan Islands, to Renton Municipal Airport when the crash was reported at 3:10 p.m., according to the Coast Guard. The plane crashed in Mutiny Bay off Whidbey Island, roughly 30 miles northwest of downtown Seattle and about halfway between Friday Harbor and Renton. Data posted on Flight Aware shows the plane last observed near Oak Harbor, which was 18 minutes into what is normally a 50-minute flight.
The aircraft may have been at about 1,000 feet in the air at its highest altitude, according to flight data. There is some indication that the plane took a nose dive.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said there was no indication of a distress signal or beacon from the aircraft, however, experts said it would be difficult to detect a beacon underwater.
The victims
Nine adults and one child were aboard the aircraft. The body of one woman, who has been identified as Gabrielle Hanna, was recovered by a good Samaritan. The other nine passengers are still missing.
Ross Mickel, Lauren Hilty and Remy Mickel
Ross Mickel was a local winemaker and owner of Ross Andrew Wineries.
Ross Mickel’s family members released the following statement to KING 5 that said, in part:
“We are deeply saddened and beyond devastated at the loss of our beloved Ross Mickel, Lauren Hilty, Remy and their unborn baby boy, Luca. Our collective grief is unimaginable."
Megan Hilty, Lauren's sister, posted a message on Instagram that states the past few days have been "the worst of our lives."
Sandy Williams
Spokane civil rights activist Sandy Williams was also among the nine passengers aboard the floatplane. She was on the plane with her partner, Patricia Hicks.
According to Spokane City Councilmember Betsy Wilkerson, Williams was on vacation celebrating her 61st birthday a week beforehand with friends before the plane crashed.
Gov. Jay Inslee said Williams was a “giant for civil rights in Washington state,” and that she “gave so much to Washington and particularly the Spokane community.”
Patricia Hicks
Patricia Hicks was a 66-year-old retired teacher. She was from California but lived in Spokane. She and her partner, Sandy Williams, were on the west side of the state to celebrate Williams' 61st birthday.
Joanne Mera
The niece of 60-year-old passenger Joanne Mera said she was visiting family members in the Seattle area at the time of the floatplane crash. Mera was born and raised in San Diego and was a successful business owner for more than 30 years. She leaves behind a husband and three children.
Gabrielle "Gabby" Hanna
Hanna attended Garfield High School in Seattle and Occidental College in Los Angeles. She competed in swimming at Occidental and majored in philosophy, according to a team bio on the college's website.
Dave von Beck, the father of Gabrielle "Gabby" Hanna, shared a statement Tuesday:
"Our family and friends are just heartsick with grief at the loss of our beautiful Gabby, who at 29 should have had many decades of a wonderful life still to be lived."
Luke and Rebecca Ludwig
Luke Ludwig's employer described Luke as a "deeply devoted father, husband, outdoorsman, and coach for his kids' sports teams." Luke, his team went on to explain, was known for his kindness and generous spirit.
Jason Winters
Jason Winters was the floatplane pilot.
There's no known cause of the crash at this time, but witnesses described it quickly descending into the water, according to South Whidbey Fire.
His family released a statement that read in part:
"Jason was a loving father, partner to his spouse and friend to many. We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of his life and all of those on board. He was a skilled pilot, with decades of experience."
Witness accounts
Matt Peterson
Magnolia resident Matt Peterson said he believes what sounded like an explosion was likely the sound of the plane making impact with the water in Mutiny Bay.
Peterson was at his family's cabin at the time of the crash. He said his sister first noticed something was wrong. Everyone on the beach at the time saw the last few seconds before the plane crashed.
After calling 911, Peterson and his step-father went out in their boat to help. Several others joined, he said.
Peterson said there was a strong smell of jet fuel. They only saw parts of the plane and other items floating in the water. Everything else, he said, already sank by the time they arrived.
"The impact seemed to disintegrate everything," he said
Mark Canlis
Mark Canlis and his family were at Mutiny Bay when the plane crashed. He, along with several others, rushed to help.
“They didn’t just disappear alone, people saw it,” said Canlis.
He said there were many boats that tried to help. He said he doesn't know anyone that wouldn't do that.
Mark Canlis and one of the victims, Ross Mickel, met in kindergarten and had been friends for over 40 years.
911 Calls
Many people who saw the crash called 911 to report it. Some of the callers said they saw the plane "crash straight into" the water. Other callers reported a large splash with a loud, explosive sound following seconds later.
Another caller reported a strong smell of jet fuel as their boat approached to try to help.
One caller, who was the first to arrive at the scene of the crash on their boat told the operator that there was "nothing left" of the plane.
Listen to the 911 calls here:
Recovery process
How the aircraft will be recovered will depend on what depth the aircraft is located at and what condition it's located in. Investigators have yet to find out if the aircraft broke up in the water or how widely the debris might be spread.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) estimated the aircraft is currently at a depth of 100 to 300 feet.
NTSB has worked with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) on the search.
A spokesperson for the NTSB said an investigation into the crash could take anywhere from 18 to 24 months. The actual duration is uncertain depending on how attempts to recover the aircraft go.
Some items from the airplane have been recovered, according to the NTSB, including foam fragments from the plane's floats, a seat cushion, a seatbelt, dispatch paperwork, flooring structure remnants and some personal items from the victims.
The plane
The floatplane that crashed into Puget Sound has a long history in the skies over western Washington, and so does the Renton company that owns it.
The de Havilland DHC-3 Otter floatplane was built in 1967. Despite its age, former NTSB senior Air Safety Investigator Gregory Feith said that doesn't necessarily mean the plane was not safe.
Records from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) show the plane received an airworthiness certificate in May 2014, likely meaning that the plane's owner, Northwest Seaplanes, installed a new turboprop engine.
Feith said changing out the old engine that used to be on the front end of that airplane and installing a higher horsepower turboprop engine is something you would typically see on a commuter-type aircraft.
A Facebook post from Northwest Seaplanes states that Otter received an annual maintenance check-up.
Seaplane companies are heavily regulated by the FAA, according to Feith. It's a regulatory tier just below commercial airlines.
Seaplane Northwest is a sister company of Friday Harbor Seaplanes. Feith said he know of no violations in the company's history.