Two tourists who died when a seaplane crashed into the ocean have been identified, as investigators begin a months-long probe into its cause.
Dane Torben Poulsen, 60, and Swiss Danielle Grundbacher-Mosching, 65, died along with Australian pilot James Wong, 34, in the accident that occurred on Rottnest Island, off the coast of Perth, 4 pm on Tuesday.
Poulsen and Grundbacher-Mosching were on holiday in Western Australia with their partners, who were also on board the plane and survived the crash.
Australia’s Transport and Safety Bureau has begun recovering and examining parts of the Cessna 208 Caravan 675 as it launches its investigation.
Researchers have confirmed that their investigation will take at least months to complete.
Bureau officials are currently working to find the plane’s recording devices, including flight tracking and engine performance data.
Once investigators have completed their on-site recovery and examination process, the wreckage will be taken to a Perth facility for further inspection.
“During this time, investigators will identify and secure any relevant components for further analysis at the ATSB laboratory facility in Canberra,” the bureau’s chief commissioner, Angus Mitchell, said.
Authorities have confirmed that the investigation into a fatal seaplane crash will take months
Australian James Wong, 34, (pictured), Dane Torben Poulsen, 60, and Swiss Danielle Grundbacher-Mosching, 65, were killed off the coast of Perth at 4pm on Tuesday .
“We also continue to seek reports from witnesses, particularly anyone who may have images of the aircraft at any stage of the accident sequence, or immediately afterwards.”
The wreck can currently be seen with the naked eye, still at the bottom of the sea, eight meters below the surface.
Mitchell said if his officers find any If critical safety issues occur on the seaplane, relevant stakeholders will be notified immediately.
He added that the investigation will last months because investigators must scour the area for images of the crash, as well as conduct an intricate investigation of the plane. history and maintenance.
“There’s a whole host of things to put together to give us a better idea of that flight sequence and then what went wrong,” Mitchell said.
“That will take us time to analyze all the evidence.”
Gathering evidence alone could take weeks, Mitchell warned.
“We need to get these things right if we want to make recommendations that have far-reaching effects.”
Police divers pulled the bodies of the victims from the rubble eight meters below the surface.
Current estimates from the office put the timeline at two months before a preliminary report is available.
Survivors managed to flee the rubble on Tuesday afternoon, while police divers recovered the bodies of the three victims that same night.
A 63-year-old Swiss man, a 63-year-old Western Australian man, a 65-year-old Western Australian woman and a 58-year-old Danish woman managed to escape the accident with various injuries.
The tourists’ identification comes after the Perth pilot’s grieving partner Mr Wong spoke of his “sudden, unexpected and devastating” death.
Wong’s partner and colleague Angela Cloeraine broke her silence on Thursday to pay tribute.
“He was known for his love of adventure, his exceptional knowledge on every subject, and his passion for seaplanes, a self-proclaimed ‘tragic seaplane,'” he wrote in a GoFundMe page he created to support his family.