The two seaplanes collided in mid-air in Alaska. Five people are dead, about ten have been injured and three more are missing.

The accident occurred during the night of Tuesday, Swedish time, near the city of Ketchikan. There were a total of 16 people on board the two aircraft. Ten of them have been rescued, reports local newspaper Anchorage Daily News.

Both aircraft are seaplanes with pontoons and were out sightseeing with cruise tourists.

In one plane, in addition to the pilot, there were ten people on a cruise ship called the Royal Princess. It departed from Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday and was due to arrive in Anchorage on May 18. In the other plane, there was a pilot and four tourists who were taking part in another cruise.

Life-threatening injuries

The weather at the time of the accident was cloudy and with only four meters per second southerly wind. The planes collided in mid-air for an unclear reason, NBC News reports. Of the ten rescued passengers, one has life-threatening injuries, according to AP.

Sightseeing in airplanes with cruise passengers is a big industry in Alaska. In 2015, all nine people on board died when a seaplane crashed into a mountain northeast of Ketchikan, USA Today reports. The pilot lost orientation in the cloudy weather while his employer pressured him to get back to the cruise ship before it departed, the accident investigation showed.

Source: aftonbladet.se