Seaplane Passenger Taking Selfie Knocked Out Pilot, Causing Fatal Crash: Report

According to a recent report, a private seaplane that crashed into the Hawkesbury River north of Sydney on New Year’s Eve last year, killing six people onboard including a British millionaire, might have been the result of a passenger knocking out the pilot while taking a selfie.

Hotelier Jerry Schwartz, who joined Sydney Seaplane — the company which owned the downed aircraft — as its newest partner, revealed the information in a recent interview, News reported.

“The investigation has shown that safety is good and it’s actually believed to not be pilot error,” Schwartz said. “The current belief is the passenger at the front actually knocked out the pilot.”

The fatal incident, which involved the de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver plane flying off course despite clear weather conditions before nose-diving into the river, was being investigated by the Australian authorities.

Schwartz said there was a high possibility a person sitting on the front row was trying to take selfies with the river in the backdrop and was swinging his hands as a result. In his attempts to capture the perfect selfie, he reportedly struck the pilot in the head, knocking the latter unconscious.

“Something definitely happened to the pilot to incapacitate him,” Sydney Seaplanes managing director Aaron Shaw said.

The crash claimed the lives of British passengers Richard Cousins, 58, his fiancé Emma Bowden, 48, her 11-year-old daughter Heather and the former’s sons William, 25, and Edward, 23, as well as the pilot, Gareth Morgan, 44.

Richard was the CEO of Compass, the world’s biggest catering company and was due to retire in March this year. He left behind a net worth of 41 million pounds ($53 million dollars) after his death. His wife was the art editor of OK! Magazine.

The family was heading toward Rose Bay in Sydney Harbour for a “fly-dine” sightseeing trip when the seaplane took a sharp right turn and crashed into the river water. The autopsy reports of the passengers revealed all of them had died either from head injuries or drowning or a combination of both. The cause of the pilot’s death was yet to be determined.

The preliminary record of the incident by Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which was due to submit a completed report of the incident next year, said they had not found any mechanical defects or fuel contamination on the aircraft and that it was up-to-date with its maintenance checks. They have also hailed Morgan from Canada as a well-qualified pilot who was unlikely to have caused the crash.

After ATSB submits a completed evaluation report of the incident, the New South Wales coroner will likely request an inquest to be held, which may be held in the United Kingdom.