Smoke in cockpit forces Penn Cove landing

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, June 23, 2026

A seaplane carrying soccer fans to Seattle made an emergency landing in Penn Cove on Friday after an overheated battery filled the cockpit with smoke.

No one was injured, according to North Whidbey Fire and Rescue Chief Chris Swiger and Detective Ed Wallace of the Island County Sheriff’s Office.

The plane departed from Vancouver, British Columbia, and was headed to Seattle ahead of a FIFA World Cup match between Australia and the United States. Swiger estimated six or seven passengers were aboard, several of them Australian.

Wallace said the pilot spotted Penn Cove and safely landed the aircraft after smoke entered the cockpit. The battery did not catch fire, Swiger said.

Robert DeLaurentis, owner of the nearby DeLaurentis International Airport, said the aircraft landed near a pier off Riepma Avenue.

Photos of the incident indicate the aircraft belongs to Harbour Air, a Canadian airline that operates seaplane flights, charters and scenic tours, primarily in British Columbia.

“It was a great landing,” Wallace said.

Another Harbour Air plane picked up the passengers and completed their trip to Seattle.

DeLaurentis said he believes the aircraft was later towed elsewhere for repairs.

Harbour Air operates as many as 200 flights a day. The company resumed service between Seattle and Vancouver on April 13, according to its website.

The U.S. men’s national team defeated the Australians 2-0 on Friday. Australian defender Cameron Burgess opened the scoring on his own net, and American defender Alex Freeman doubled his team’s lead.

With the win, the United States won its group and advanced to the knockout round of the World Cup.