Small plane crash; Arcata Bay, Eureka, CA

Arcata Bay, Eureka, CA | 2020-Feb-06

Initial Notification: On February 6, 2020, a small plane crashed into Arcata Bay near Eureka, CA. The pilot was rescued with no injuries. 195 gallons of aviation fuel were reported to be on board, but no release was observed until later that afternoon. Containment boom has been deployed, but wing tanks are difficult to access for pollutant removal. USCG MSD Humboldt Bay contacted their NOAA SSC with an initial report and to request information regarding potential fuel exposure to nearby shellfish aquaculture site, roughly 0.5 NM away. Subsequently, ERD has been providing oil fate/transport/mixing information to the state authorities responsible for fishery closures during oil spills.