The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has delivered a report into a plane crash off the Sunshine Coast, finding a series of factors contributed to the incident.
Two men aged in their 50s were winched to safety from a life raft after the aircraft ditched into the ocean 53km east of Sunshine Coast Airport on November 10, 2023.
The report, which was published on February 25, said the Cessna 421C departed Sunshine Coast Airport with two pilots onboard and was bound for Oakland in California, with stops planned at Pago Pago in American Samoa and Honolulu in Hawaii.
“To complete the flights between these locations, the aircraft had been fitted with additional long-range ferry fuel tanks that provided approximately 14 hours of endurance,” it said.
“To account for the weight of the additional fuel, a special flight permit had been issued that allowed the flight to be conducted with a 10 per cent increase above the maximum take-off weight of the aircraft.”
But about 50 minutes after departure and about 213km from the coastline, one of the engines failed.
“Both pilots reported hearing a loud, muffled bang from the left engine,” the report said.
“The pilot in the left seat observed a large bulge to the cowling and oil streaming from the left engine.”
The pilots began returning to the Sunshine Coast but calculations based on the descent rate of the aircraft indicated they would be unable to reach land.
“The pilots notified air traffic control of their intention to ditch, who immediately engaged the national search and rescue service provider,” the report said.
The crew shut down the right engine in the final phase of the descent and glided the aircraft from about 60m above the surface of the water.
“The pilots reported that on contact with the water the aircraft initially skimmed the crest of a wave, followed by very rapid deceleration when the nose pitched into the water,” it said.
“Water washed over the windscreen and the aircraft settled upright in a slight nose-down attitude.”
The two men then made their way back through the cabin to the rear door, where there deployed the life raft.
They were retrieved by a rescue helicopter 32 minutes after ditching. The aircraft was not recovered.
The report said several factors had contributed to the crash, noting that the ATSB was unable to conduct an inspection of the aircraft because it had sunk.
“The aircraft was loaded in excess of the weight and balance limitations imposed by the special ferry flight permit, and in addition, an unapproved modification was made to the ferry fuel system,” it said.
“These actions removed the defences incorporated into the ferry permit approval process and increased the likelihood of an adverse outcome.”
It also noted the pilots did not hold the required licence ratings and approvals to conduct the flight.
“However, this did not contribute to the events that led to the aircraft ditching,” it said.
The report did commend the crew for their actions once the aircraft began losing altitude.
“The pilots’ considered approach towards assessing their options and working together to maintain control of the aircraft increased the likelihood of a successful ditching,” it said.
“Air traffic control and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority provided a rapid response to the emergency. Their coordination and allocation of resources minimised the pilots’ time in the water, further increasing the chances of survival.”
