The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Accidents · NTSB WPR17WA060 · Preliminary: the investigation is not finished

Grumman American Corporation G-73 accident near Perth, Au, January 26, 2017

On January 26, 2017 at about 9:08 am local time, a Grumman American Corporation G-73, registered VHCQA, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Perth. 2 people were killed.

The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
January 26, 2017 · about 9:08 am local time
Place
Perth, Australia
Type
Accident
Injuries
2 people were killed.
Weather
not recorded
Aircraft
Grumman American Corporation G-73
Registration
VHCQA · no longer on the register · serial J-35
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Flight

The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record

On January 26, 2017, at 1708 local time, a Grumman American Aviation Corp. G-73, VH-CQA, collided with water while maneuvering near Perth, Australia. The airplane and the pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The flight was operated under the pertinent civil regulations of the Government of Australia.The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Government of Australia. This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by the Government of Australia. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) P.O. Box 967, Civic Square Canberra A.C.T. 2608 Australia Tel: +612 6274 6054 Fax: +612 6274 6434 www.atsb.gov.au

The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.

The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English

What happened, in order

  1. Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event

The aircraft

  • Landing gear: retractable

Weather at the time

  • Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Flight crew2

Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report

The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.

Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.