Seaplane crash: inquiry looks to flight path clue
Witnesses saw the seaplane that crashed on NYE killing six people veer from the standard course, an initial inquiry has found.
Air crash investigators say that the reason why the seaplane that crashed on New Year’s Eve veered off the standard flight path is a key line of inquiry.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released a preliminary report today into the seaplane crash that killed six people.
The preliminary report said that witnesses saw the plane enter Jerusalem Bay, though the operator has reported the expected and standard flight path was to climb to the north then turn right along Cowan Creek towards the main body of the Hawkesbury River.
Shortly after entering Jerusalem Bay, “numerous witnesses reported seeing the aircraft suddenly enter a steep right turn and the aircraft’s nose suddenly drop before the aircraft collided with the water in a near vertical position”, the preliminary report said.
Addressing reporters in Sydney today, ATSB executive director of transport safety Mat Nagy said “one of the key lines of inquiry for us now is to try and work out exactly what was happening throughout that time.”
“So firstly why the pilot turned that way,” Mr Nagy said.
“And then whether it was an attempt to turn around or whether it was a planned turn as well.”
Asked why the plane would have gone up Jerusalem Bay, he said “that’s exactly the question we are asking ... that’s exactly what we are trying to ascertain.”
The ATSB preliminary report found no evidence of bird strike or collision in-flight. It said that pilot Gareth Morgan’s last flight review and proficiency check were issued in March 2017 and he had more than 10,000 hours flying experience, of which about 9,000 were on floatplanes.
In a statement after the preliminary report was released, Sydney Seaplanes CEO Aaron Shaw said the plane “simply should not have been where it was”.
Mr Shaw said the “key question” arising from the report was “why the plane crashed approximately half way down Jerusalem Bay which is surrounded by steep terrain and has no exit.”
“It is not a route we authorise in our Landing & Take Off Area Register and the plane simply would not have been where it was,” Mr Shaw said.
“Further, the aircraft is then reported to have entered into an 80-90 degree bank angle turn. A turn of this nature at low altitude by a pilot with Garett’s skills, experience and intimate knowledge of the location is totally inexplicable