What happened
The incident occurred while the aircraft was conducting a maritime patrol mission in waters adjacent to Malaita Island. During the operation, the plane lost control and crashed into the sea. Emergency response teams subsequently located the wreckage and conducted search operations in the area. As a result of the accident, five crew members were killed, while two others were successfully rescued from the water.
Findings
The source material does not provide specific technical details regarding the mechanical condition of the aircraft or the exact sequence of events leading to the loss of control. The available information confirms that the crash took place during an active patrol mission and resulted in significant loss of life among the flight crew.