(WSB photo)
9:43 AM: Thanks to Lorrie for the tip that the work to get that Cessna 150 out of the water off the Alki promenade was under way a little earlier than we expected. It’s been 17 hours since the pilot crash-landed the plane in the water, with no injuries reported A company called AvTech Services is partly dismantling the plane so it can be transported; the US Coast Guard and state Ecology Department are at the scene monitoring the salvage operation (no word of a fuel spill so far).
ADDED 2:20 PM: We went by the beach on our way back from the SDOT director announcement on Beacon Hill and noted as of about an hour ago, everything was over and the plane and truck were gone. As for what caused the crash – a Seattle Police summary says the pilot told them “an oil-pressure malfunction” was to blame. David Hutchinson reports the pilot returned to the scene this morning – he sent photos and info:
Once the plane was towed up on the beach and lifted to the promenade, the fuel was drained from the wing tanks, the wings were removed and the fuselage was lifted by crane onto a flatbed trailer for transport.
As the operation was finishing up, the pilot dropped by to check on things. His t-shirt said “I SURVIVED HAWAII TSUNAMI.”
There was a suggestion made that he get a new one saying “I SURVIVED ALKI BEACH.”
Federal authorities are handling the official investigation.
8:14 PM: FSX Aviation has taken the pilot/air-traffic-control audio from public archives and uploaded it:
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