Rottnest Island: Hopes sunken seaplane wreckage will hold fatal crash clues for investigators
Investigators will attempt to salvage the remaining wreckage of a seaplane that crashed during take-off, killing three people and seriously hurting three other passengers.
It’s believed the aircraft carrying seven people struck a small limestone outcrop near popular holiday spot Rottnest Island, off the coast of Perth, about 4pm on Tuesday.
The Cessna 208 Caravan 675 plunged nose-first into the water near Thomson Bay, killing pilot James Wong, 34, a 65-year-old Swiss woman and a 60-year-old Danish man.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Investigators hope the sunken plane and wreckage already retrieved will provide answers about the cause of the crash, Australian Transport Safety Bureau Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell says.
“Any of the information that we can gather from on board the plane, that’ll be our focus tomorrow as we recover the plane from the seabed,” he told reporters on the island late on Wednesday.
“Any of the recorded information from on board, from mobile phones.”
Mr Mitchell said bureau investigators working with police would continue interviewing witnesses to the crash.
The owners of a seaplane say they are distraught over the tragedy.
“We are devastated by those injured and the loss of the two passengers involved in the terrible incident yesterday,” Swan River Seaplanes company director Kristy Bailey said.
“Our deepest and sincere condolences are with their families and friends.
“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of James (Wong), a talented and dedicated pilot who was an integral and deeply cherished member of our team.”
Police divers pulled three bodies from the wreckage eight metres below the water’s surface on Tuesday night after a frantic search during the afternoon.
The survivors include a 63-year-old Swiss man, a 63-year-old West Australian man, a 65-year-old West Australian woman and a 58-year-old Danish woman.
One passenger was not hurt.
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said was a 200m exclusion zone in place while investigations and salvage operations continued.
The ATSB sent experts from Perth, Brisbane and Canberra who specialise in aircraft operations and maintenance and “human factors”, Mr Mitchell said.
Some wreckage from the seaplane, which broke up during the crash, has been brought ashore.
Witnesses said the plane impact made a huge splash.
