The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released details from an initial report on a deadly seaplane crash in Western Australia which occurred in January 2025.
The preliminary report, published on February 27, 2025, describes events on Rottnest Island leading up to the accident on January 7, 2025, when a private seaplane crashed into the water while trying to take off near the Australian island.
The aircraft involved was a Cessna 208 Caravan Amphibian floatplane, registered VH-WTY and operated by Swan River Seaplanes. It was carrying a pilot and 10 passengers on a flight from South Perth to Rottnest Island, landing in the water at Thomson Bay.
According to the initial report from the ATSB, the take-off commenced at about 16:00 local time, heading east towards Phillip Rock, a rocky outcrop at the southern end of Thomson Bay. About 32 seconds into the take-off and 600 meters from the start, the aircraft became airborne with a high nose attitude, before it rolled rapidly to the left and impacted the water. Three people on board, the pilot plus two passengers, were fatally injured.
Immediately after the collision, the aircraft remained partially afloat. Four surviving passengers moved into a small pocket of air in the rear of the cabin. One passenger opened the top part of the rear right door, through which they and one other passenger escaped, according to the report.
ATSB noted that a witness rescued another passenger by breaking the rear left cabin window and pulling the passenger out of the aircraft, while the fourth passenger also escaped through the window.
The investigation revealed that the pilot communicated via text with the chief pilot of Swan River Seaplanes regarding the sea and wind conditions on the day of the accident. Data from the Bureau of Meteorology indicated that the afternoon conditions were windy, with some waves present in Thomson Bay.
The ATSB’s subsequent examination of the aircraft wreckage did not identify any damage consistent with the aircraft having struck an underwater landmass or object. A detailed inspection of the engine also showed no evidence of damage from before the accident.
The aircraft drifted approximately 800 meters north of Phillip Rock until being tethered to the sea floor by WA Police divers. Their dive footage revealed that the main body of the aircraft remained largely intact following the collision. On January 9, 2025, commercial salvors lifted and recovered the aircraft using barges and a crane.
ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said that the final investigation is ongoing. He added that it will continue to “gather, review and examine evidence, in order to develop our analysis to identify those factors that contributed to the accident”.
