Hydroplane Racer's Fatal Crash Potentially Caused by Distraction, Inquest Finds

A hydroplane racer who died in a 70 mph crash against a houseboat may have been distracted after forgetting to attach a safety cord to his wrist, an inquest heard. Brett Duncan, 51, failed to slow down or make a full turn as he rounded a marker buoy during a practice session on July 24 last year at Oulton Broad, near Lowestoft in Suffolk.

Analysis of videos of the incident suggested that Duncan looked left and then down into his hydroplane in the seconds before the collision. Enhanced footage showed he only looked up in the moment before impact, leaving him no time to avoid the houseboat. Suffolk Coroner’s Court was told that by the time he appeared to realize the vessel was in front of him, it was too late.

Safety inspectors found no abnormalities with the hydroplane, which was owned by Duncan's friend Peter Rix, and all controls were functioning normally. They also discovered that a kill cord, which would have stopped the engine if Duncan had been thrown from the water, was not attached to his wrist.

Jennifer Jelf, who investigated the crash for the Circuit Powerboat Association, stated that Duncan was an experienced racer familiar with the Oulton Broad course. Videos showed him looking left as he rounded the buoy, possibly after seeing a chequered flag indicating the final lap of his practice session. Jelf suggested he may have also glanced at a faster craft on his inside.

Duncan then looked down into his hydroplane, which Jelf theorized could indicate he realized he had not attached the kill cord. She noted that Duncan had a reputation for meticulous attention to detail and would have been frustrated by this oversight, potentially causing a distraction at a critical moment. This distraction, she said, likely led to him failing to make the turn and heading straight into the houseboat without slowing.

"Whilst the exact events may never be determined… I consider this scenario to be the most likely explanation," Jelf told the inquest. She added that Duncan had not shown similar head movements on previous laps and that a lack of spray from the hydroplane's skeg just before the collision suggested he was not turning.

Jelf described the incident as being caused by 'driver error,' stating there was no evidence of Duncan looking forward until the moment of impact. She did not believe the crash was deliberate.

Suffolk assistant coroner Daniel Sharpstone recorded a narrative conclusion, stating Duncan died as a consequence of the collision. He added that on the balance of probabilities, driver error contributed to the collision. Sharpstone noted that given the lack of a kill cord lanyard and the deviation off course, "there does appear to be issues with driver performance."

Peter Mantripp, safety and technical director for the Circuit Powerboat Association, confirmed that inspections of the hydroplane revealed no faults in its controls. He observed that the boat was running perfectly and appeared stable. Mantripp estimated Duncan had slowed to 70 mph for a 45-degree turn but failed to complete the maneuver.

Martin Smith, who also inspected the hydroplane, stated in a report that there was no indication of hull failure or control malfunction leading to a loss of control.

The inquest heard that Duncan's wife, Rhianon Phillips-Duncan, witnessed the crash while filming his practice session. She mentioned they were rushing to arrive due to traffic delays. However, race officials reported that Duncan did not appear stressed before the practice.

Paramedics attempted to resuscitate Duncan after he was recovered from the water. A post-mortem examination determined his cause of death to be head injuries from the high-speed impact.

The houseboat owner, Jacki Beech, reported seeing Duncan's hydroplane heading towards her at high speed. She observed him looking left at another boat before turning to look at her houseboat with a look of horror. Beech described the wreckage covering her veranda as resembling confetti and expressed that hydroplane racing was not a suitable activity for Oulton Broad.