What happened
The incident occurred during a routine training sortie conducted shortly after recent modifications were made to the aircraft's communication systems. While en route back to their base at Laverton, the flight crew encountered deteriorating weather conditions characterized by poor visibility due to fog.
To maintain visual reference with the terrain in these low-visibility conditions, the pilot reduced the aircraft's altitude. This maneuver resulted in the airframe impacting the water surface of Port Phillip Bay off Elwood, south of Melbourne. The impact caused the aircraft to crash into the bay, leading to the death of all three crew members on board.
Findings
The official investigation concluded that the accident was caused by a too low approach in foggy conditions. The decision to descend to maintain visual contact with the ground in poor visibility proved fatal, as it did not leave sufficient altitude or time for recovery before water impact.