What happened
The incident occurred during a nighttime flight over Iraq. The aircraft was operating en route from Southampton to Sydney when the crew encountered deteriorating meteorological conditions, specifically a sandstorm. In an apparent effort to maintain visual contact with the terrain beneath them, the pilot reduced the altitude of the aircraft. This maneuver resulted in the float plane, identified as 'Calpurnia', striking the ground while still at full power. The impact caused a crash that resulted in the death of all four crew members on board.
Findings
The source material indicates that the decision to lower the altitude was made to preserve visual reference with the ground during poor visibility conditions. This action, taken while flying at night in a sandstorm, led directly to the controlled flight into terrain event.