Amberley

The crew as completing a local training flight at Amberley Airport. On final approach, the instructor simulated a left engine failure. The airplane lost height on short final, went into a nose-down attitude and landed hard. The nose gear collapsed and the left engine partially detached. The airplane veered off runway and came to rest. While all three crew members escaped uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Shortly after takeoff from Amberley AFB, while climbing, the aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a field located 8 miles south of Rosewood. All four crew members were killed. Apparently, the loss of control occurred when a parachute release box apparently jammed the control column.

The aircraft departed Laverton at 1415LT for Amberley. Aeradio position reports were received normally through out the flight, until 1734LT, when clearance was obtained to descend from 8000 feet preparatory to the landing at Amberley. A short time later Amberley Flight Control cleared the aircraft for a straight-in approach RWY 05 at an angle of 45 degrees, turn right to align itself with the runway and commence to lose height on the approach - which appeared to be lower and faster that usual. The aircraft touched down in a tail high attitude, approximately 300 feet after crossing the threshold. After travelling a short distance, the aircraft then left the ground, rising to about five feet. From eyewitness reports, attempts were then made by the crew to force the aircraft onto the runway but this only resulted in three more bounces. When about 600 feet from the upwind end of the runway, engine power was applied to make a go around. It is estimated by ground observers that, by this stage, the airspeed of the Lincoln had decreased to approximately 80-85 knots. The Lincoln was then seen to climb slightly, level out at 100 feet, after which the nose of the aircraft rose sharply to place the aircraft in a climbing attitude of 40 degrees. After a further few seconds, the attitude changed abruptly to a climb of 80 degrees. With all engines roaring presumably under full power, the aircraft attained an altitude of approximately 500 feet AGL when, with no forward speed, the port wing slowly dropped and the aircraft steadily accelerated until the port main plane struck the ground in a vertical position. By this time the fuselage was parallel with the ground. The aircraft caught fire immediately and, although the fire tender arrived shortly after the crash, the fire could not be sufficiently controlled to extricate the crew or passengers. The crash site was 400 yards from the end of RWY 05 and displaced approximately 100 yards left of the runway.
Source: http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/

The crew was performing a training mission from Amberley when he encountered problem with a propeller. From the ground, it appeared to everyone else that the problem was rectified satisfactorily and after completing a circuit of the airfield, the pilot advised that he would be returning to land but kept losing height until the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed 8 km from the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 5 occupants were killed.
Crew (99th Squadron):
Lt G. A. Hendy, pilot,
F/O R. F. Pullin, copilot,
F/Sgt V. J. Quinn, navigator,
Sgt Dureau, wireless operator,
F/O J. H. Mutton.
Source: http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/

Crashed during takeoff from Amberley Airfield. Unfortunately the B-24 Liberator's brakes were applied too soon before the aircraft was safely in the air. As a consequence the nose of the aircraft dipped heavily into the runway causing the nose wheel assembly to collapse and also shearing the hydraulic lines for the engine controls. The aircraft subsequently skidded off the south east end of the runway into a 60 feet deep gulley and broke in half.
Crew (99th Squadron):
S/Ldr William Lloyd Milne, pilot
W/O Eric Ferdinand Carlson, copilot, †
F/Sgt Jack Grant Watson, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Marcel Kingsley Doolan, radar operator,
F/Sgt Warwick Manning Lane, air gunner,
F/Sgt Andrew Keith Cochrane, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Allan Charles Annetts, air gunner,
F/Sgt Arthur Henry Clausen, navigator. †
Passengers:
Sgt John Raymond Slennett
Sgt John Knyvett
Cpl Jacqueline Ruth Row, †
Cpl Edith Tansley Sharpe, †
Acw Ruth Beryl Burcher,
LAC Waterman James Albert
LAC William Angus Ludbey,
AC1 Keith William Carlier,
LAC Douglas Charles Mighell,
LAC Leslie Arthur White,
LAC Mervyn John Edward Thornberry.
Source: http://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/qld245.htm

After a flight from Horn Island, and while approaching Amberley by night, the crew became lost and continued to the south. By night, and probably short of fuel, the twin engine aircraft crashed into the sea some 3 km off Broken Head and sunk by 57 meters deep, off Tallow Beach, between Broken Head and Byron Bay. All ten occupants were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Robert Thomas Trigg,
Sgt Douglas John Lovejoy,
Sgt Gavin Athole Laurie Mclaren,
Sgt Gordon William George Ridge,
Sgt David Leslie Bradley,
LAC Edward George Kimmins,
LAC William Edwards Evans,
LAC Harold Wilmot Johnstone,
LAC Frederick Albert Charles Wood,
AC1 Edward George Merefield.