What happened
On May 11, the pilot departed Lae on a ferry flight to Sydney for an annual Certificate of Airworthiness renewal. The following day, he left Daru bound for Horn Island. While crossing the Torres Strait, the aircraft encountered a severe rainstorm, prompting the pilot to turn back toward Daru.
During the return leg at low altitude over the sea, the pilot identified a small mudflat island and executed a forced landing there. The impact wrecked the de Havilland Dragon. As the aircraft was not equipped with radio communication capabilities, the pilot remained on site awaiting discovery.
A search operation was conducted by a Mandated Airlines C-47 over a period of three days, covering areas as far south as Australian Gulf territory. During a return leg from Horn Island to Daru, the search crew spotted the wrecked Dragon on the mudflat island. The pilot was found sitting on the roof of the aircraft.
The pilot had been stranded for six days without food. Due to high tides submerging much of the island, he sheltered in the cabin while the sea gradually dismantled the airframe. He survived by drinking rainwater. An RAAF Catalina from Port Moresby landed near Turnagain Island and sent a crew member ashore in a rubber dinghy to collect the pilot. A storm subsequently developed, forcing the Catalina to return to Port Moresby and leaving the two men on the island. They were eventually rescued by a pearling lugger dispatched from Thursday Island.