What happened
During a flight from Wewaks to Momote, a departmental Drover experienced a significant mechanical failure while cruising approximately 90 miles from its destination. A portion of a propeller blade from the port engine detached during flight, striking the cockpit. The impact caused the pilot to lose consciousness and sustained an injury to his left foot.
Following the incident, a passenger managed to move the pilot from the controls to stabilize the aircraft's flight path, eventually performing a ditching maneuver. After the aircraft settled in the water, the passengers assisted the unconscious pilot into a rubber life raft. The survivors remained adrift for ten hours before they were able to signal for help using a 'Gibson Girl' emergency beacon. A Qantas DC-3 spotted the signal and coordinated with an RAAF rescue mission, which successfully recovered all three occupants.
Findings
The aircraft was lost in deep water following the ditching. The primary factor leading to the accident was the separation of a propeller blade fragment during the cruise phase of flight.