Two Persons Rescued From Water; One Plane Lands Safely

ANN REALTIME UPDATE: 11.20.07 1920 EST: It's as happy an ending as you could hope for. Officials have confirmed there were no fatalities following the midair collision of two small planes over Tacoma, WA.

There were no witnesses to the collision, though several persons watched as one of the planes involved impacted the water about 1/4 mile from Katie Downs Waterfront Tavern & Eatery. The second aircraft, reportedly a Cessna 206, circled the area, "then headed off toward Puyallup," Coast Guard spokesman David Marin said.

That aircraft landed at Thun Field, with damage to its underside and the right maingear wheel spat.

Boaters pulled the passengers of the downed plane -- a 74-year-old woman and her son, the pilot -- from the water shortly after the accident. The woman suffered mile hypothermia, but was otherwise uninjured.

"It was a win-win situation," Tacoma Fire Capt. Stephen Stock told The Seattle Times. "It could have been a lot worse."

Original Report

Officials in Tacoma, WA are releasing few details surrounding the apparent midair collision of two small planes Tuesday afternoon.

Seattle's KIRO-7 reports the two aircraft, types unknown, collided at around 1240 PST over Commencement Bay. One of the aircraft crashed in the Bay, near Tacoma; the second aircraft landed safely at Thun Field in Puyallup, reports Tacoma police spokesman Thomas Williams, with damage to its landing gear.

Boaters were able to rescue two people from the water, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Tara Molle. Both were transported to a local hospital.

Their condition was not immediately known, nor is it clear whether they were the only two people onboard the submerged aircraft. Coast Guard personnel continue to search the water for the crashed plane.

ANN will continue to follow this story.

FMI: www.faa.gov