Floatplane wreckage that killed Minnesota couple found off the coast of Washington

By The Associated Press

An image of the wreckage on the seafloor taken on Sept. 10, 2022, by the University of Washington’s vessel using side scan sonar. (University of Washington's Applied Physics Laboratory)

SEATTLE (AP) — The wreckage of a floatplane that crashed into the waters of Washington state’s Puget Sound last week has been found on the sea floor, The National Transportation Safety Board said Monday.

The NTSB said the depth and motion of the water hid the wreckage for several days.

Sonar located a “large section” similar in length and width to the plane about 190 feet (58 meters) below the surface of Puget Sound near Whidbey Island, according to spokesperson Jennifer Gabris.

Investigators, the National Oceanic at Atmospheric Administration and the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory scoured a 1.75-by-0.75-mile (2.8-by-1.2 kilometer) area where witnesses said the plane had crashed.

Because of the depth and 3-5 knot currents, the NTSB is seeking a remotely operated vehicle to recover the wreckage. The NTSB had said that crash details, including the cause of the crash, couldn’t be determined until more of the wreckage was found.

Luke and Rebecca Ludwig, a married couple from Minnesota, were among the 10 people on the seaplane when it crashed in Puget Sound on Sept. 4 while the plane was on its way from a popular tourist destination to a Seattle suburb.