Incident Overview
A seaplane that was being repositioned from Biak to the Netherlands made an unscheduled stop at Abadan due to technical difficulties encountered en route. The aircraft remained at Abadan for two weeks while maintenance was performed. Following repairs, the crew was cleared to continue the flight to Europe.
Accident Sequence
Shortly after departing from Abadan, the crew detected an oil leak on engine number one. They decided to return to Abadan Airport. While on approach, the seaplane went out of control and crashed in a massive explosion several kilometers from the airfield. All ten crew members on board were killed.
Investigation and Probable Cause
Investigators determined that a technical failure occurred on engine number one. The thrust reversal system on that engine had been accidentally triggered for reasons that the investigation could not ascertain. The official probable cause is stated as: "A technical failure occurred on the engine number one whose thrust reversal system was accidentally triggered for reasons that investigations were unable to determine."