The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is looking closely at air show approvals following the fatal crash of a Grumman Mallard into the Swan River in Perth earlier this year.
Mallard VH-CQA was part of an air display on 26 January when it stalled mid turn and crashed into the water, killing both occupants.
In an update to the investigation issued last week, the ATSB said they could find no sign of pilot incapacity or defect in the aircraft that would account for the crash.
"The investigation has not identified any evidence to indicate that pilot incapacitation or aircraft serviceability were contributing factors to the collision with water," the ATSB stated in the update.
"Further analysis around the aircraft performance and operational factors, as well as the review of the planning, approval and oversight of the air display is ongoing."
During the investigation ATSB has examined the sequence of events leading up to the occurrence, aspects of the air display coordination, as well as the regulations, procedures and guidance relating to CASA-approved air displays, including:
- approval process for the Perth Australia Day Sky Show going back several years and for other air display events across Australia
- air displays applications from this and other events
- CASA's Air Display Safety and Administrative Arrangements manual in use at the time and the revised version published earlier this month
- surveillance and oversight of air displays as a whole
The ATSB has also examined the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch report into the crash of Hawker Hunter G-BXFI at Shoreham in August 2015, which killed 11 bystanders.
The ATSB investigation is currently ongoing.