What happened
A flight originally intended to travel from Cockatoo Island to Derby at an altitude of 5,500 feet was altered by the pilot during the departure phase. Following the initial departure announcement, the pilot adjusted the planned cruising altitude to a level below 5,000 feet.
While positioned roughly 56 kilometres north-north-west of Derby and 20 kilometres west of the intended flight path, the crew of a nearby workboat spotted the aircraft flying at an extremely low altitude. The aircraft passed directly over the vessel's deck at a height of only about 5 to 7 metres before initiating a right-hand turn. During this maneuver, the right wing tip made contact with the water surface, causing the aircraft to cartwheel and crash approximately 400 metres from the boat. Upon impact, the fuselage split open, but the crew of the workboat was able to successfully rescue all occupants.
Findings
Investigations into the incident suggest that the pilot performed an unauthorized low-level pass over the vessel. The primary factor in the accident was that the pilot misjudged the aircraft's height during the turn, leading to the wing tip striking the water. Additional contributing factors included:
- The pilot lacked the necessary training and authorization for low-level flight operations.
- The decision to operate at such a low altitude demonstrated poor judgment.
- An error in judging the distance between the aircraft and the water surface.