Authorities are investigating Thursday’s fatal crash of a twin-engine seaplane in Perth, Australia. The crash into a river in front of thousands of spectators gathered for an Australia Day event was captured from multiple viewpoints on witness videos. The pilot and passenger on board the Grumman G-73 Mallard were killed about 5 p.m. when the aircraft was seen flying low and banking to the left over the Swan River, then suddenly plunging nose-down into the water, according to various news reports. By Friday, crews had recovered the tail of the aircraft and the bodies of the 52-year-old owner pilot and his 30-year-old female passenger. Most of the wreckage remained in the water.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority said the 1948 Mallard was one of the aircraft flying under approvals for aerial demonstrations for the Australia Day City of Perth Air Show 2017. The show was to precede other event celebrations and a fireworks display, which were cancelled immediately following the crash, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The Grumman and its pilot were listed on the air show’s website as part of a 5 p.m. seaplane display that included a Cessna Caravan. The pilot had purchased the rare Mallard in the U.S. in 2011 and flew it to Australia in 2012 after it was restored, according to PerthNow.
