KIRO 7 Eyewitness News
Posted: 2:18 pm PDT September 12, 2011
Updated: 2:35 pm PDT September 12, 2011
SEATTLE -- Home video of a close call on Lake Union between a seaplane and a Jet Ski may help make the case for new safety measures on the busy urban lake.
Labor Day had great weather and provided a stunning flight for Kenmore Air passengers headed into Seattle from Victoria, BC.
It was such a nice day, Chris Rudell said he decided to record the landing on a blue, boat-dotted Lake Union.
"At the last second the pilot just hit the engine as hard as he could,” said Rudell.
The rider of a personal watercraft was headed right where the plane was going to land.
The pilot had to pull up and make another run at a landing.
“Finally he found a really narrow hole and he just planted the plane in there,” said Rudell.
The plan landed safely and then pilot used the opportunity to make sales pitch.
"Kenmore (Air) is interested in getting the city to set up some float plane-only lanes at Lake Union, so your support for that would be appreciated,” the pilot told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News morning co-anchor Chris Egert.
"Seems like something should be a bit more organized there,” said Rudell of the lake.
On Monday, Kenmore Air shared some of the particulars of what it calls a "seaplane safety zone."
“It may be as loosely set up as just a few buoys out on the lake that a pilot can activate a light and let boaters know seaplanes are about to take off or land, and that they just move to the side,” said Tim Brooks with Kenmore Air.
Kenmore Air says it is working with the Washington Department of Transportation on a grant that would "support seaplane activity,” while at the same time, not make too many waves with Lake Union boaters.
The discussion is in the preliminary stages.
Watch Raw Video: http://www.kirotv.com
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