Four Britons are feared dead after a tourist plane on a New Year’s Eve flight crashed near Sydney, leaving no survivors.

Five passengers, including an 11-year-old boy, and the aircraft’s pilot died after the tourist flight plunged into the Hawkesbury river near Cowan, north of Sydney, at about 3.10pm local time on Sunday, police said. Local media reported that four of those killed were believed to have been Britons, but police did not provide any details of the deceased.

The plane crashed while flying from Cottage Point to Rose Bay on Sydney harbour ahead of a New Year’s Eve fireworks display.

Divers recovered the bodies from the wreckage of the plane, operated by Sydney Seaplanes, on the bottom of Cowan Creek under 13 metres of water.



New South Wales police said an investigation was under way to identify the victims and determine the cause of the crash.

“For reasons that are not known at this stage, the plane has hit the water and it has subsequently sunk,” said a police spokesperson. “At the time of the collision there was a pilot and five passengers on board. I can confirm the six people on the plane are deceased.”

The Foreign Office (FCO) was unable to confirm any details of the crash but said British officials were in contact with authorities in Sydney. An FCO spokesperson said: “Officials from the British consulate are in contact with local authorities in relation to a seaplane accident near Sydney. Staff are ready to provide consular assistance.”

One witness, Myles Baptiste, told the broadcaster 9News that the plane was 500 metres from him when it hit the water. “It made a tight right-hand turn and as it actually turned around, the wings dipped and it nosedived straight into the water,” he said.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said the single-engine plane was reported to have sunk rapidly after hitting the water. In a statement, the bureau said: “At around 3pm this afternoon, a DHC-2 Beaver Seaplane, VH-NOO, operated by Sydney Seaplanes, was flying in the vicinity of Jerusalem Bay (near Cottage Point). It is understood that there was one pilot and five passengers on the aircraft on a return flight to Rose Bay, Sydney harbour.

“The sequence of events leading up to the accident are not yet understood, however, following the impact with the water, the aircraft is reported to have sunk rapidly.”

The bureau is expected to release a preliminary report in just under a month, according to the Australian.



Sydney Seaplanes, a scenic flight company, confirmed ownership of the crashed aircraft and company representatives said they were working with police to discover what had led to the tragedy.

Its managing director, Aaron Shaw, said the cause of the crash was unknown. “All at Sydney Seaplanes are deeply shocked by this incident and the resulting loss of life. We wish to pass on our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the passengers and pilot who were tragically killed. We do not yet know the cause of the accident,” he said.

“We are dedicating our full resources in assisting the NSW police, the Australian Transport Safety Board, Civil Aviation Safety Authority and other relevant authorities to understand the cause of the accident.”

He said the company had been operating since 2005 and had no history of previous accidents. It had “undertaken thousands of flights in that period and … had an unblemished safety record until now”, he said.

“The safety of our passengers and staff is our absolute primary and highest priority. Our aircraft are professionally maintained to manufacturer’s specifications and our seaplane pilots are some of the most experienced in the world.”

The company provides flights above and around some of Sydney’s most popular tourist sites including the opera house, the Harbour Bridge, Pittwater and the Hawkesbury river region.

Shaw said it had suspended all operations until further notice.

