What happened
The incident occurred immediately after the aircraft departed from the Funafuti harbor. During the initial climb phase, at an altitude of approximately 15 feet above the water surface, the plane entered a stall. Consequently, it impacted the water and subsequently sank to a depth of roughly 100 feet.
Of the ten individuals on board, who were members of the 5th Squadron, seven crew members were successfully rescued. Tragically, three others perished in the accident as they remained with the submerged aircraft.
Findings
Investigations into the event identified a specific human factor as the primary contributor to the crash. The official determination concluded that the accident resulted from control mishandling by the copilot. This error stemmed from a misunderstanding regarding flight operations between the copilot and the captain during the critical takeoff phase.