What happened
On Sunday, December 10, 2000, at 14:45, a Cessna 172 N Skyhawk 2, registered F-OHAZ, was involved in a water impact near Vairoa on the Tahiti peninsula. The flight, operated by a local club, was a local flight involving the pilot and three passengers.
The aircraft departed Tahiti Faa’a aerodrome at 13:50. At approximately 14:32, the pilot approached a boat containing acquaintances. Utilizing high engine power, the pilot descended to approximately 100 feet to fly over the vessel, performing a 45-degree banked turn for a second pass. Following this maneuver, the pilot climbed to 500 feet to depart the area.
However, the pilot subsequently decided to return to the boat to take photographs. To facilitate this, the pilot performed a left turn, descended with reduced power, and executed a steep left bank. During this maneuver, the left wing of the aircraft struck the water, causing the plane to sink in two and a half meters of depth. The occupants successfully evacuated the aircraft and were rescued by passengers from the nearby boat.
The investigation
The investigation established the sequence of maneuvers leading to the impact. It was noted that the aircraft's flight path involved intentional low-altitude passes and high-bank turns. The investigation also reviewed the physical conditions at the time, noting visibility was greater than 10 km, winds were 200 degrees at 10 knots, and temperatures were 29 °C. Witnesses on the boat observed the maneuvers, noting that the accelerations were significant enough to cause discomfort to two passengers.
Findings
The investigation identified that the accident was caused by the pilot's attempt to impress friends on the water and aboard the aircraft through low-altitude maneuvers, combined with the abandonment of proper flight controls to take photographs. The combination of high-bank turns at low altitude and reduced engine power during the final approach to the boat led to the wing striking the surface of the water.
As a result of the impact, the aircraft was destroyed and one passenger sustained injuries.