Witness says plane spun, lost parts as it fell toward Hood Canal

Published 10:24 am Thursday, January 29, 2015

SEABECK — The small red-and-white airplane that crashed south of Seabeck Jan. 26 in Hood Canal was spinning, may have had parts break off in flight and sank quickly, according to a man who said he witnessed the plane fall.

Jon Marker, who lives on Thunder Ridge Way, said the plane spun downward at a sharp angle near Frenchman’s Cove (near Guillmot Cove). He was in his home when he heard the plane around 12:45 p.m.

“I was eating lunch, getting ready for work. I heard a plane like it was climbing. It was the motor of a plane. Then I didn’t hear anything for a couple seconds,” Marker said.

“Then I looked out and I saw a plane kind of whirling around,” he said, nearly straight down.

“It looked like it was spinning. It looked like it was red and white. It went behind the tree line. I figured it probably hit the water.”

Then, Marker saw a separate piece fall down afterward which looked like it could have been a wing or something similar.

Marker couldn’t see the impact from his home so he called a neighbor, who lived closer and whom he thought may have owned a boat, to take a look. The neighbor couldn’t see anything in the water.

“When it hit it must have sunk right away,” Marker said. He called again for rescuers to check out the crash and gave them directions to navigate the twisty, rural back roads that cover the area.

“It was a very helpless feeling,” knowing that there was not much else he could do, Marker said.

A driver’s license was found at the crash site and next of kin were notified. Rescue crews suspended the search for the pilot at 9 p.m. that evening.

Recovery of the aircraft and remains is up to the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Department, and any further investigation would be conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board, Chief Petty Officer Sara Mooers with the U.S. Coast Guard said Jan. 27.

Joshua Cawthra, an aviation accident investigator with the NTSB, said Jan. 27 that he was beginning to look into the crash and speak with witnesses.

Mooers would not disclose the pilot’s identity, citing policy. But she did say the pilot “had a residence on Fox Island” and was male. She said there are no other missing-plane or missing-person reports, and it’s believed the Fox Island man on the driver’s license was the pilot and that he was flying alone.

According to the Seattle Times, the pilot was Robert Alexander Jr., 65, and the only plane missing in the area was a Van’s RV-7 homebuilt airplane which was based at Tacoma Narrows Airport in Gig Harbor.

Mooers described the debris field as “fairly small,” consisting of red and white aircraft metal, seat cushions, and headsets. “Nothing more definitive than that,” she said. “We were not able to establish where the aircraft took off from.”

Mooers thanked all of the responders that participated in the search, and said, “It’s sad there was not a more favorable outcome.”

Lt. Raphael Sadowitz, command duty officer at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound, said in a press release issued late Jan. 26, “Our prayers and heartfelt wishes go out to the friends and loved ones of those affected by this tragedy.”

She added, “We also extend our gratitude to the good Samaritans who were quick to report the incident and the local law enforcement personnel who aided in our search. Their efforts helped ensure our ability to swiftly find the location of the crash and thoroughly cover the surrounding areas.”

After receiving a call from Kitsap County 911 operators around 1 p.m., reporting a small plane with an unknown number of people on board had crashed in the waters of Hood Canal, Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound launched two MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crews, a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew, and diverted the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Henry Blake to the reported crash site.

Other agency responders included personnel from Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, Mason County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue.

According to the Coast Guard, weather at the time of the incident consisted of clear skies, 12 to 15 mph winds, 1-foot seas, air temperature of 53 degrees Fahrenheit, and water temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit.