Eight killed in two-plane collision at Idaho lake

At least eight people, including three children, were killed when two airplanes collided over a scenic mountain lake in northern Idaho, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said.

One of the aircraft was a float plane operated by Brooks Seaplane of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, which operates charter flights for tourists over Lake Coeur d’ Alene, the sheriff’s office said.

That plane was carrying five passengers, including three children, and a pilot, the sheriff’s office said.

The second airplane was a Cessna 206 that was carrying at least two people, the sheriff’s office said.

A sheriff’s dive team found the wreckage in about 40m of water, and the bodies of three victims have been recovered so far, the sheriff’s office said.

“We don’t anticipate any survivors,’’ sheriff ’s Lt Ryan Higgins said. “We think everyone is deceased.’’

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are headed to the scene and will conduct the investigation into what happened, the sheriff’s office said.

The planes collided in the air near Powderhorn Bay about 2.30pm on Sunday and plunged into the water, Higgins said.

The large and popular lake, which is surrounded by vacation homes, was busy with boaters on the Fourth of July weekend.

Numerous personal boats went to the scene immediately in search of survivors. The sheriff’s marine teams, fire departments and the US Coast Guard also responded,’’ Higgins said. — AP