What happened
The flight originated at Warruwi with a destination of Batchelor, carrying one pilot and two passengers. Shortly after departing, the pilot descended to a low altitude to visually inspect a lugger situated within a tidal creek. The vessel was occupied by Dutch servicemen who had previously escaped from the Netherlands East Indies.
While maneuvering in a circle to obtain a clearer view of the boat, the pilot misjudged the aircraft's height relative to the terrain. This error caused the airplane to collide with a tree, leading to an immediate crash. The Dutch crew members on the lugger responded by rescuing the survivors from the wreckage and establishing radio contact with Darwin authorities to report the incident.
Findings
The official investigation determined that the accident resulted from the pilot's failure to accurately assess the distance between the aircraft and the ground during low-level flight operations. This miscalculation directly led to the in-flight collision with the tree.