Landing gear issues cause horror Whitsunday plane crash
New report findings have revealed the reason a pilot’s first commercial flight crashed and plunged into Whitehaven Beach trapping four passengers.
Investigations have revealed key errors in critical landing gear caused a pilot’s first commercial flight to crash as it touched down off the coast of a Whitsunday beach.
Following the crash, one of the main doors of the aircraft couldn’t be opened, delaying the escape of four passengers on board the sinking vessel, the report found.
Five people, including the pilot, were injured when the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver aircraft nosedived off the coast of Whitehaven Beach during a 10-minute scenic flight on October 26, 2024.
“Upon touching down on the water, the aircraft bounced, then yawed sharply to the right, before nosing over and becoming submerged inverted,” according to a report by the Australian Transport Safety Commission.
All five people escaped serious injury but the aircraft, which was owned and operated by Whitsunday Island Air Services, the owner of Hamilton Island Air, was destroyed.
It is understood the plane had been attempting a water landing when it “ditched into the ocean”.
A year-long investigation by the industry’s safety regulator revealed passengers of the flight could not escape through one of the cabin doors as it was fully submerged, however, the pilot eventually managed to open the right main door to free them.
“Despite considerable effort, with their feet positioned on the airframe either side of the door, the door would not open, so they swam over to the right rear cabin door,” the report said.
“The right door was able to be opened, again with a degree of force required, and the pilot pulled the nearest person out and took them to the surface.
“After taking a breath, the pilot returned and retrieved a second person, before assisting the remaining passengers.”
The findings, which were released on November 10, also found corrosion likely caused the right main landing gear to malfunction and had seized in the extended position.
The ATSB found the pilot also failed to notice the right landing gear extended during their pre-landing checks.
The report revealed it was the Whitsunday pilot’s first fee-paying ride and it came barely a month after they completed a helicopter underwater escape training which was credited as a “lifesaving course”.
A nearby boat helped rescue the pilot and passengers and later took them to Hamilton Island for medical treatment.
