What happened
On a flight departing Bundaberg for Monduran Dam, an aircraft carrying three persons was engaged in a training mission to complete a pilot's endorsement. The flight, operated in VH-BSL, intended to evaluate specific water areas for future operations. During the flight, the aircraft completed two left-hand circuits landing into the wind near the dam wall. After the second takeoff, the aircraft turned left and headed north toward the lake area. No further contact was made with the crew.
Six days later, search teams discovered the wreckage submerged in 15 meters of water, approximately 2 km WNW of the dam wall. The aircraft type was found inverted, with both floats having separated from the airframe. Significant impact damage was noted on the cockpit roof, windshield frame, and the upper leading edges of the wings. The right float showed severe tearing and had been struck by the propeller.
Findings
Investigations into the crash could not definitively identify which individual was controlling the aircraft at the moment of impact. However, evidence suggested the crew may have been attempting crosswind landings on the north-south channel of the lake. While the area near the eastern hills provided a wind shadow, the wreckage was located where the wind would have regained full strength.
At the time of the accident, meteorological data indicated a 15-knot magnetic wind from the east. The flight manual for the aircraft specified a maximum crosswind limit of only 8.7 knots. It is believed that if the aircraft exited the wind shadow and suddenly encountered these higher winds, it would have faced extreme control difficulties. The damage pattern suggests the right float dug into the water surface during a right-hand bank, likely caused by a sudden lateral gust from the left.