The crash, which saw the Shine Aviation Services light aircraft VH-TBU end up nose-down in the water, resulted from an unstable approach after the pilot chose not to perform a go-around. Nobody was injured in the incident.

Skytrans, which has operated three flights per week to Bamaga since September 2021, will increase its frequency to nine per week as of October 30 with an eye to further increases from April. It follows Rex’s decision to drop the route, accusing Qantas of “relentless pillaging” of its pilots.

The incident in March, which saw Defence’s entire Taipan fleet grounded, has been found to have been caused by a faulty engine part. Reports have confirmed, however, that the engines on the Taipan that crashed near Lindeman Island in July were both “running normally”.

Australian Army personnel have deployed from Townsville and Brisbane, alongside two Royal Australian Air Force C-130J aircraft, as part of Defence’s support to the Australian government’s response to the Hamas–Israel conflict.