What happened
On the afternoon of the incident, a pilot was performing a positioning flight for charter purposes, traveling from Hamilton Island Marina toward Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsunday Islands. At roughly 16:15 local time, the pilot initiated a landing approach from the south. This specific approach path was chosen to bypass mechanical turbulence caused by the terrain located at the southern edge of the beach.
During the landing sequence, the pilot noted that the approach and flare phases appeared standard. However, as the aircraft made contact with the water on its right float, the vessel experienced a sudden and violent oscillation, swinging sharply to the right before jerking to the left. This instability caused the left wing to strike the water surface, resulting in the aircraft overturning.
Following the capsize, the pilot managed to egress the overturned vessel via the left rear passenger door. Once clear of the wreckage, the pilot successfully activated a 121.5 MHz emergency distress beacon to signal for assistance.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a sudden directional instability immediately following touchdown.
- The impact of the right float on the water triggered a sharp lateral swing.
- The loss of control led to the left wing making contact with the water, causing the vessel to flip.