Sunshine Coast plane’s crash probe continues after life raft rescue

Investigators probing the light plane crash off the Sunshine Coast where two men miraculously escaped uninjured say they will not be salvaging the wreckage from the ocean.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau doesn’t plan to recover an aircraft which ditched into the ocean off the Sunshine Coast last week.

Two men, 59 and 51, plunged into the ocean east of the Sunshine Coast Airport after their fuel-heavy plane lost an engine and then altitude about 9am on Friday, November 10.

Just hours later they were released from the Sunshine Coast University Hospital without injury.

The Cessna 421C, registered VH-VPY, had been headed from Sunshine Coast Airport to Pago Pago in American Samoa when it crashed.

The aircraft sank in deep water after it ditched and won’t be retrieved by ATSB investigators.

It’s unclear if any other attempts will be made to salvage the aircraft.

The Sunshine Coast-based RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter crew plucked two men from the ocean after the light plane they were in ditched into the sea off the Sunshine Coast.

Clayton’s Towing Service chief executive officer Mike Clayton said the water depth, currents and weather conditions all played into the complexity of any salvage.

“Often when they sink in deep water they can move long distances so you have to relocate the aircraft,” he said.

Whether the aircraft was in one piece was also a consideration, he said.

Clayton’s Towing Service chief executive officer Mike Clayton outlines some of the challenges of a salvage operation in the ocean. Picture: Iain Curry

“Basically you’d have to have a dive team to go down and rig the plane up for lifting and you’d need a barge to lift it out,” Mr Clayton said.

The aircraft, due to its size, would not have been required to have been fitted with a Flight Data Recorder or a Cockpit Voice Recorder.

The ATSB investigation will interview the pilots, analyse flight tracking data and collect maintenance records.

“The crew reported engine issues to air traffic control and an intent to return the aircraft to Sunshine Coast Airport,” the ATSB said after the incident.

“During the return, the aircraft was unable to maintain altitude and the crew ditched the aircraft onto the ocean, about 50 km from the coast.

“The two crew exited the aircraft into a life raft and were winched aboard a rescue helicopter, while the aircraft was observed beginning to sink.

“The evidence collection phase of the investigation will involve interviewing witnesses, examination of maintenance records, retrieving and reviewing recorded data, and the collection of other relevant information.

“A final report will be released at the conclusion of the investigation. Should a critical safety issue be identified during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties, so that appropriate safety action can be taken.”

Davies Aviation – which the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s aircraft register lists as the registered operator – is in the Sunshine Coast Airport precinct.

Pilot Barry Coventon was killed when his aircraft crashed into the sea near Kawana in 2004.

Mr Clayton said the last salvage his business conducted of an aircraft in water was about 20 years ago, in about 20m of water and 7km offshore of the Sunshine Coast.

In that case, a plane had ploughed into the ocean near Kawana and plane wheels drifted onto Mudjimba Beach.

Police officers recovered the body of pilot Barry Coventon after the wreckage was found.

A woman was flown to hospital after a light plane crash at Cootharaba on Sunday morning, November 12. Picture: Supplied

The latest ocean incident is one of two plane crashes within days in the Sunshine Coast region.

A woman was taken to hospital after a light plane crashed as it was landing on a private grass airstrip, near Greenfields Lane, in Cootharaba about 9am on Sunday, November 12.

She was taken to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital in a stable condition after the aircraft “somersaulted” and “cartwheeled” during the incident.

The woman remains in a stable condition in hospital.

The ATSB is also investigating the Cootharaba crash.

Originally published as Sunshine Coast plane’s crash probe continues after life raft rescue