Date:	Tuesday 7 January 2025
Time:	16:00 LT
Type:	Cessna 208 Caravan 675
Owner/operator:	Swan River Seaplanes
Registration:	VH-WTY
MSN:	20800586
Year of manufacture:	2016
Engine model:	P&W Canada PT6A-114A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	off Rottnest Island, near Thomson Bay, WA -   Australia
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi
Departure airport:	Rottnest Island, WA
Destination airport:	South Perth, WA
Investigating agency:	ATSB
Confidence Rating:	Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities

Narrative:
A float equipped Cessna 208 Caravan 675 crashed during a take-off attempt from Thomson Bay off Rottnest Island, Western Australia.
Three passengers suffered minor to serious injuries, three occupants were found deceased in the wreckage (the pilot and two passengers). One passenger was uninjured.

At around 13:30, the pilot of Swan River Seaplanes informed the chief pilot about high swells at the normal departure area but mentioned plans to depart from a calmer location closer to shore, facing a quartering crosswind. The chief pilot trusted the pilot's judgment and advised against succumbing to departure pressures. By 15:00, the pilot, after inspecting the sea conditions with the coxswain and finding them unsuitable, decided on a new departure track closer to the southern shore of Thomson Bay.

At 15:11, when queried about conditions, the pilot described them as "ok but rough" with manageable swell near the shore, also noting that the aircraft would be "pretty light" for take-off. Passengers were transferred to the pontoon at 15:40, describing conditions as rough and windy. The flight, carrying six passengers, prepared for departure with all onboard wearing life jackets.

The aircraft began taxiing at 15:58 and commenced take-off at 16:00:20, traveling easterly along the water's surface. By 16:00:52, the aircraft became airborne but soon rolled left, resulting in the left wingtip and fuselage impacting the water. The crash left the aircraft partially submerged with survivors and witnesses recalling a quick evacuation through the rear cabin where some found air pockets and escaped through a door and a broken window.

https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wa/rottnest-island-seaplane-crash-footage-captures-moment-aircraft-crashes-into-ocean-shortly-after-take-off-c-17315080
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-07/rottnest-island-plane-crash/104793466
https://7news.com.au/news/horrifying-moment-seaplane-crashes-on-rottnest-island-captured-by-witnesses-on-beach-c-17315725
https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/rottnest-island-seaplane-crash-police-forensics-officers-investigate-wreckage-c-17319396
https://apnews.com/article/seaplane-crash-rottnest-island-australia-8955a24db62f6d2c10eab59e4447cc35

https://www.casa.gov.au/search-centre/aircraft-register?reg=WTY
https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/VHWTY/history/20250107/0800Z/YRTI/YEQY
https://metar-taf.com/airport/YEQY-elizabeth-quay
https://cdn.jetphotos.com/full/5/87351_1482774313.jpg (photo)

Ex N7129S

@abcnews picture confirms the crashed plane near Rottnest Island in WA to be VH-WTY. pic.twitter.com/39H5seq8yj

— cqplanespotting (@cqplanespotting) January 7, 2025

Confronting video footage has emerged of the moment a seaplane crashed off Rottnest Island shortly after take-off. https://t.co/9KlR5YIzW0

— PerthNow (@perthnow) January 7, 2025

A seaplane crashes off an Australian tourist island, killing 3 and injuring 3 others https://t.co/1pSkimkNa2

— The Associated Press (@AP) January 8, 2025

Parts of a badly damaged seaplane that crashed off Rottnest Island have been recovered by police as the search continues for three missing people. https://t.co/2RU3ET8L4F

— The West Australian (@westaustralian) January 7, 2025

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Jan-2025 08:41	gerard57	Added
07-Jan-2025 09:35	ASN	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, ]
07-Jan-2025 09:38	ASN	Updated [Cn, Location, Narrative, ]
07-Jan-2025 09:46	ASN	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, ]
07-Jan-2025 09:53	ASN	Updated [Embed code, Category, ]
07-Jan-2025 09:54	RobertMB	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category, ]
07-Jan-2025 11:33	RobertMB	Updated [Total occupants, Nature, Narrative, ]
07-Jan-2025 12:19	Vice Captain Edmond	Updated [Source, ]
07-Jan-2025 12:19	ASN	Updated
07-Jan-2025 13:53	Anon.	Updated [Source, Damage, Narrative, ]
07-Jan-2025 13:58	ASN	Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Departure airport, ]
07-Jan-2025 14:09	Aerossurance	Updated [Embed code, ]
07-Jan-2025 14:11	Aerossurance	Updated [Embed code, ]
07-Jan-2025 14:12	Aerossurance	Updated [Embed code, ]
07-Jan-2025 14:21	Aerossurance	Updated [Time, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
07-Jan-2025 14:22	Aerossurance	Updated [Narrative, ]
07-Jan-2025 14:26	Aerossurance	Updated [Narrative, ]
07-Jan-2025 14:29	Aerossurance	Updated [Source, ]
07-Jan-2025 14:29	Aerossurance	Updated
07-Jan-2025 14:43	ASN	Updated [Narrative, ]
07-Jan-2025 15:32	Aerossurance	Updated [Embed code, ]
07-Jan-2025 15:56	Captain Adam	Updated [Narrative, ]
08-Jan-2025 03:44	RobertMB	Updated [Aircraft type, Total fatalities, Source, Narrative, ]
08-Jan-2025 07:35	tsymes	Updated [Total fatalities, ]
08-Jan-2025 07:36	phil.madafferi	Updated [Aircraft type, Total fatalities, Source, Narrative, ]
08-Jan-2025 07:41	ASN	Updated [Total fatalities, ]
08-Jan-2025 07:41	ASN	Updated
08-Jan-2025 08:47	Aerossurance	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
08-Jan-2025 08:48	Aerossurance	Updated [Source, Embed code, ]
08-Jan-2025 09:19	RobertMB	Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative, ]
08-Jan-2025 13:18	Eiden Garu Karu	Updated [Nature, ]
08-Jan-2025 16:58	aaronwk	Updated [Destination airport, ]
28-Feb-2025 09:09	ASN	Updated [Time, Embed code, Narrative, Accident report, ]