North Vancouver pilot may have accidentally been knocked out moments before fatal crash
Gareth Morgan was possibly struck by an elbow or camera says Australian seaplane company owner
The owner of an Australian seaplane company says a fatal mishap may have caused a de Havilland Beaver to crash near Sydney on New Year's Eve, killing all six on board, including North Vancouver pilot Gareth Morgan.
Jerry Schwartz told The Australian news outlet that a passenger in the front seat of the Sydney Seaplanes aircraft may have caused Morgan to become unconscious, possibly by striking him in the head with a camera or elbow while trying to take photographs.
"The current belief is the passenger at the front actually knocked out the pilot," Schwartz told The Australian.
Morgan, 44, was taking a prominent British businessman and his family on a sightseeing tour when the crash occurred.
A preliminary report by the Australian Transportation Safety Bureau said witnesses reported seeing the single engine plane flying low over a bay before suddenly entering a steep right turn and diving into the Hawksbury River.
The ATSB continues to investigate and has so far ruled out bird strikes, weather and contaminated fuel as a cause.
It also has noted that Morgan was an experienced pilot and that the aircraft was current in maintenance and safety requirements, although it had been involved in a fatal crash in 1996 while operating as a crop duster.
CBC News has requested to speak with Schwartz or a Sydney Seaplanes representative but has not heard back.
In January, Sydney Seaplanes CEO Aaron Shaw said that Morgan had taken an unauthorized flight path during the fatal flight.
Corrections
- An earlier version of this story incorrectly said the pilot had taken an authorized flight path during the fatal flight. In fact, the flight path was not authorized, according to Sydney Seaplanes CEO Aaron Shaw.Oct 17, 2018 7:38 AM PT