What happened
The aircraft was on approach to Whitemark Airport on Flinders Island when it struck the water approximately 3 km offshore. The incident occurred under circumstances that were not immediately clear at the time of impact. The airframe, named *Loina*, was destroyed in the crash. All five individuals aboard the plane perished in the accident. The crew consisted of a pilot, a co-pilot, and a flight engineer, while two passengers were also on board.
Findings
Investigations determined that the aircraft had entered an uncontrollable spin prior to impact. Three potential factors were identified as possible triggers for this loss of control: a power plant failure leading to loss of control, fouling of the tail surfaces during the retraction of the trailing aerial, or a structural failure. Evidence indicated a small fire in the rear cabin area, which may have started before the crash but was likely not a contributing factor to the accident. Following this event and other difficulties associated with the type, authorities suspended the certificate of airworthiness for the De Havilland 86.