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Pilot of Australian seaplane lost control due to fumes, investigators of deadly 2017 crash find

NSW police and salvage personnel recovering the crashed plane  - AAP Images
NSW police and salvage personnel recovering the crashed plane - AAP Images

The pilot of a seaplane carrying British tourists that crashed near Sydney on New Year's Eve in 2017 probably lost control after fumes entered his cabin, a report has found.

The seaplane crashed in Jerusalem Bay, New South Wales, killing the pilot and the five British tourists on board.

Australian investigators looking into the crash said on Friday that the most likely cause was a carbon monoxide leak affecting the pilot's ability to control the plane.

The breakthrough came after toxicology testing in March found the pilot and two of the five passengers had high levels of carbon monoxide in their blood, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Investigators then discovered pre-existing cracks in the seaplane's exhaust collector ring and bolts missing from a panel in the wall separating the engine bay from the cabin. It is believed these faults led to the fumes entering the cabin, causing the pilot to lose control of the plane.

The crash killed Gareth Morgan, 44, British tycoon Richard Cousins, 58, his sons William, 25, and Edward, 23, his fiancee Emma Bowden, 48, and her daughter Heather, 11.

Australian Transport Safety Bureau chief commissioner Greg Hood said carbon monoxide levels in the cabin were likely to have “adversely affected the pilot’s ability to control the aircraft”.

The DHC-2 Beaver seaplane failed to follow a standard flight path moments after taking off from Cottage Point on a return trip to Sydney's Rose Bay, and crashed minutes later.

Sydney Seaplanes, the owner of the plane, told the Sydney Morning Herald that Airag Aviation Services in Sydney maintained the plane. Airag did not respond to inquiries on Friday.

Sydney Seaplanes managing director Aaron Shaw issued a statement in which he noted that missing screws in a plate in the wall separating the engine bay from the cabin were “not something that would be discovered by the pilot during pre-flight safety checks”.

Mr Shaw said Mr Morgan had been “an excellent and professional pilot” and that exhaust leaks were usually contained in the engine bay and dissipated into the air without harming pilots or passengers.

A final report into the tragedy is expected to be released within the next three months.