Seaplane’s safety under microscope after fatal crash
The seaplane that crashed off the coast of a popular tourist island, killing three people, had not flown for years until it was put back into service a month before the fatal incident.
Cessna 208 Caravan 675 was carrying seven people when it hit the water shortly after takeoff and sank on Rottnest Island off the coast of Perth on January 7.
While the 34-year-old Swiss woman and Danish pilot James Wong died, the other four passengers survived.
The interim report on the crash, published by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau on Friday, gave more details about the incident, but did not include any findings about the cause of the incident.
The report said the aircraft’s maintenance documentation showed it did not fly for an extended period of time, from June 2021 until it was chartered and operated by Swan River Seaplanes in late December 2024.
In total, the seaplane was inactive for all but 12 of the 1277 days during this period.
Inspectors found no evidence that the engine had been serviced to the manufacturer’s specifications during this period, except for the last few months.
For periods of inactivity exceeding 90 days, the aircraft’s manual states that the engine oil should be drained along with other conservation measures, but this can be changed by starting it once a week.
The report also includes more details about the failed takeoff, including how the plane crashed into waves before flying into the air and colliding with water seconds later.
“The aircraft accelerated across the water with a strong crosswind and a light tailwind and encountered the swell and swell of the sea as it passed Phillip Rock,” ATSB Chief Steward Angus Mitchell said. he said.
The seaplane rolled to the left at 16 feet above sea level.
The left wing hit the water, followed by the fuselage and the rest of the aircraft.
The wreckage rested on its nose on the seabed, partially submerged.
The four surviving passengers escaped the wreck (two seriously injured) after the helmsman of a soft boat broke a window.
The coroner determined that the pilot Mr. Wong, who died in the incident, and one of the passengers drowned, and the other passenger drowned as a result of a blow to the head.
The ongoing investigation will review Mr Wong’s assessment of the circumstances on the day, including his decision to take off in an unusual direction.
Investigators will also consider whether Mr Wong disconnected the plane’s stall warning system circuit breaker before takeoff.
No stall warning sound was recorded in the passenger video during the takeoff run, and the stall warning circuit breaker appeared to be in the disconnected position after the accident.
The Cessna manual instructs pilots to install all circuit breakers before flight, but pilots have reported false alarms during takeoffs from water, leading some to disable the circuit breaker.
Investigators are also examining the crashworthiness of the Cessna Caravan aircraft and the suitability of the manufacturer’s and operator’s emergency equipment and procedures for accidents involving water.
