Families of victims in 2021 Alaska floatplane crash file lawsuit against Holland America Line

Families of four people killed in a floatplane crash in Alaska are suing Seattle-based Holland America Line, alleging the cruise ship company didn’t warn passengers about the dangers.

The floatplane returning to Ketchikan from an excursion to Misty Fjords National Monument crashed in August 2021, on a day an NTSB report said clouds were as low as 600 feet.

The crash killed the pilot, Rolf Lanzendorfer of Cle Elum, and all five passengers.

The families of four passengers are now suing Lanzendorfer’s estate, Southeast Aviation, and Holland America Line.

“We hope that it will improve the safety of the cruise industry,” said attorney Ranse Partin, who represents the family of Jacque Komplin and the family of Andrea and Rachel McArthur, who took a mother-daughter cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam that sailed from Seattle.

The lawsuit says they booked the float plane trip through a third-party travel agency.

The suit alleges the 1965 de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver crashed into steep and rocky terrain because the pilot recklessly flew in unsafe conditions.

“The tight timeframe that these flights are on enhance the danger because the pilots know they have to get the passengers quickly back to the port so they can make the boat,” Partin said.

The lawsuit cites previous floatplane crashes and alleges Holland America Line didn’t tell passengers about the dangers.

“They ought to be warning passengers, ‘maybe you should consider not doing these flights, go to the fudge factory instead,’” he said.

Holland America Line is based in Seattle and released this statement: “We were incredibly saddened by this tragedy and our hearts go out to the families of those who died. This floatplane excursion was independently operated and purchased separately by the impacted guests and not sold through or advertised by Holland America Line. Safety is of utmost importance to us, and our contracts with tour operators emphasize it as a top priority.”

The owner of Southeast Aviation in Ketchikan declined to comment.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court.

It requests a jury trial and unspecified damages.

©2022 Cox Media Group