Can you remember if the P1 and R/O were originally rostered to fly this flt on 10/05/1975. or was one of them a replacement for someone reporting sick?
I was an engineering consultant to Air Express at the time but I have no idea what the crew scheduling may have been for the flight. The loss was a great sadness to me as the RO was one of the brightest CPL students with whom I have ever had the pleasure to work.
Do you have an idea if the a/c would have been "Nose high" with both wings level, before contact with the sea ?
That would be total conjecture. However, there was no suggestion that I can recall that there may have been a loss of control.
Sterling Preston ... he may have flown for Air Express before moving to NSW,
Stirl and I go back a long way .. I don't recall that he flew with Air Express but you would need to speak to him on that point. He was with EWA for many years and, last I heard, is still in Albury running Oberon. Probably 4-5 years or so since I last had contact with him.