What happened
A scheduled passenger service was operating from Sydney toward Canberra with a total of 15 fatalities (four crew members and eleven passengers). The original flight plan intended for the aircraft to follow the 222 track via Marulan; however, due to incoming traffic, the departure route was modified to the 244 diversion to bypass Botany Bay.
During the initial climb, air traffic controllers instructed the pilot to maintain a runway heading until reaching 3,000 feet before performing a left turn and passing over the field at an altitude of at least 5,000 feet. The aircraft was cleared for takeoff from runway 07. Shortly after the flight reached 6,000 feet, the controller suggested an alternative route via the 217 track from Padstow to avoid a storm located south of the field. While the crew acknowledged this instruction, subsequent communications from air traffic control went unanswered.
Between 19:25 and 19:26 hours, the aircraft entered Botany Bay, resulting in the loss of all occupants.
Findings
The investigation determined that while the aircraft was descending at speeds exceeding 260 knots, the pilot attempted maneuvers to regain control. These actions, combined with high airspeed and atmospheric turbulence, led to the structural failure of the starboard outer wing after the aircraft exceeded its design stress limits.