The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released its preliminary report into the , revealing new details about the final moments of the flight and the ongoing investigation.
The report confirms the Cessna 208 Caravan Amphibian (VH-WTY) started the day with pilot James Wong, and 10 passengers. However, on the returning flight from Rottnest Island to Perth, only six passengers remained on board.
Thirty-two seconds into take-off, the aircraft became airborne with a high nose altitude near Phillip Rock before rolling sharply to the left and crashing into the water moments later.
Survivors and witnesses described the aircraft remaining partially afloat, with the nose resting on the seabed.
The Cessna 208 Caravan (VH-WTY) aircraft's take-off track with approximate location of key events. Source: Supplied / ATSB
The pilot and two passengers were unable to escape, and their bodies were recovered by Western Australia Police divers later that evening.
"Video footage from WA Police divers for the recovery of the deceased occupants showed that the left (pilot) crew door was in the LATCHED position and the right crew door was in the LATCHED position," the report said.
ATSB testing did confirm they were functional.
Seating plan of Cessna 208 showing the occupant locations, with survivors marked in green and those who sustained fatal injuries marked in red. Source: Supplied / ATSB
"We are also aware of and are looking into concerns, raised with the regulator, about the airworthiness of the aircraft in the days preceding the accident," he said.
"At this stage, we know that it was aerodynamic stall on that left wing. That's likely due to a loss of speed or insufficient speed on takeoff.
"The full factors to that and decision-making around why take-off occurred there, with those tough conditions, is part of the investigation."
Mitchell also revealed that while the preliminary findings suggest no immediate mechanical failure, key components are being investigated in Canada for further examination, where the manufacturer is based.
"At this stage, there are no signs of mechanical issues contributing to that," he said.
"The report does say that just before takeoff, there was a reduction in power, and then the engine went up again. Also, looking at other decision points, the rudder being down is also being examined.
"There was significant damage to the left wing, where one of the stall warning sensors is located, and the stall warning circuit breaker was found to have popped."
The tragic crash
The crash, which occurred off the coast of Rottnest Island, killed the 34-year-old pilot, a 65-year-old female Swiss tourist, and a 60-year-old male Danish tourist.
The aircraft, which had taken off from Thomson Bay at 4pm, veered dangerously close to Phillip Rock before impact, travelling at a ground speed of 117km/h.
The tragedy also left four others injured — the partners of the deceased tourists and a WA couple, who were all on board.
Tim Collins, an aviation expert from Upstream Aviation, said the conditions that day were challenging, but not beyond operational limits.
"The conditions on the day were not ideal, they were flyable but not ideal," he said.
"Swells were a little bit more than normal for a floatplane, so that's why it had to take off closer to shore.
"A seaplane is essentially a boat until it takes off. In this case, the aircraft was not able to take off into the wind, so it was a crosswind takeoff — no wind assisting the takeoff. The plane became airborne with insufficient speed."
Aviation expert Tim Collins praised the pilot's expertise, saying his extensive experience and thorough safety briefing played a crucial role in saving lives. Source: SBS News / Christopher Tan
"We all listen to the safety briefing on an aeroplane, which tells us how to operate the emergency exit," he said.
"But until you've actually turned the door handle and you know how much force is required, and you actually know what it feels and looks like, it's actually quite difficult to do in practice.
"In this case, the passenger closing the door and the pilot giving them a good safety briefing, and that part of the aircraft remaining out of the water, definitely helped their escape."
Collins said Wong was well-qualified for the flight, with 1900 hours of air time, including 700 hours on a Cessna plane.
"It's not the wrong decision if you do, and it's not the wrong decision if you don't," he said.
"There's nothing on the day that meant the conditions were out of limits. They were challenging, but they were not out of limits."
Survivors speak out
A week after the incident, Jeremy and Patricia Connor, the sole surviving couple in their 60s, broke their silence, releasing a statement expressing their deepest sympathies to the victims’ families.
They also paid tribute to Wong, crediting his detailed pre-flight safety briefing as the reason they survived.
Wong's emergency exit instructions had been crucial in their escape, and they extended their gratitude to rescuers, emergency personnel, and authorities, a sentiment echoed by the WA Premier Roger Cook at the time.
Police divers worked overnight in the 8-metre-deep waters to recover the victims, a task WA Police Minister Paul Papalia described as "difficult and confronting".
The recovery process
The aircraft had been in operation since September 2016, brought to Perth on 29 December, and had only started flying in Rottnest seven days before the tragedy.
Following the crash, an extensive ATSB investigation was launched, examining maintenance records, operational history, and potential human error.
WA Police investigators walking to a police boat on Rottnest Island the day after the tragic crash. An exclusion zone was initially set up as part of the investigation. Source: AAP / Aaron Bunch
Authorities also gathered video footage and witness statements from the hundreds of onlookers who witnessed the crash — an investigation comparable in scale to the Gold Coast's Dreamworld tragedy.
Collins said while the initial ATSB report was thorough, further analysis is needed.
"There is still a lot of information that needs to be discovered," he said.
"Particularly from mobile phones and also the engine teardown report to ensure the aircraft was developing sufficient power and operating as it should have been."
He said the Cessna Caravan is a highly reliable aircraft.
"The Cessna Caravan itself has been around for over 40 years ... this engine type has flown at least half a billion hours around the world," he said.
The ATSB has said the investigation remains ongoing, with further analysis to include engine performance, weather conditions, pilot training records, and regulatory oversight.
A final report, including findings and safety recommendations, will be released at a later date.
