Flight and Fuel Leak
The seaplane was en route from Townsville to Darwin when, while cruising 30 km from Georgetown, the flight engineer notified the pilot of a fuel leak on the left engine. The captain decided to divert to Georgetown Airport for an emergency landing.
Emergency Landing Attempt
On final approach, the seaplane became unstable, banking left and right. The pilot increased power on the right engine and initiated a go-around. However, the aircraft banked right, stalled, overturned, and crashed in flames in a field approximately 5 km from the airport.
Casualties
Five crew members were killed instantly, while two others sustained serious injuries. One of the survivors died from his injuries a few hours later. The crew included pilots F/Lt David Northey, John Gilbert Humprey Alexander, and Leo Maurice Sattler; navigator Alexander John Brown; flight engineers Frank Slater and Maurice Henry Wood; and wireless operator William Bedford.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the accident was caused by a failure of the left engine due to a fuel leak.