What happened
During a transport flight traveling from Jurien Bay toward Perth, the aircraft experienced a mechanical failure involving the right-hand engine. Due to the loss of power on one side, the pilot could not sustain the necessary altitude for continued flight. This necessitated an emergency descent and an attempt to land the plane approximately 12 km north of Lancelin.
During the landing sequence, the aircraft struck a limestone outcrop. While the aircraft and its crayfish cargo were destroyed in the impact, there were no injuries reported among the three occupants on board.
Findings
Investigations into the incident determined that the flight suffered a total loss of power from the starboard engine. This failure was likely triggered by the failure of a piston within the engine assembly, which prevented the aircraft from maintaining sufficient height to complete the flight safely.