Sydney | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The aircraft left Nouméa-La Tontouta by night bound for Sydney, with 23 US Navy pilots and officers on board. During the initial climb, one of the engine failed. The pilot tried to return to the airport but the aircraft stalled and crashed in the St Vincent Bay, few miles from the airport. All 23 occupants were killed, among them 16 US Navy pilots.
Crew:
1st Lt Robert Wesley Kirkpatrick,
Sgt John Henry Clark,
Robert Leon Parr.
Passengers:
Lt Col Paul Woret,
Lt Cdr Welden Lee Hamilton,
Lt Paul Edward Babel,
Lt Donald Randall Burke,
Lt William Robert Weiss,
Lt Sidney Quick,
Lt John Clifford Liverey,
Lt V. F. Flynn,
Robert Hayewood,
Charles Sterling Hall,
Ordien Fenmore Herr,
Bernard Gordon Robinson,
Jack Foster Young,
Carl Lee Cobb,
Alley Burton Conrad,
Cpl Lewis Ray Baughman,
Pfc Keith Horney,
W. T. Owen,
Col Joseph E. Stevenot,
Ellwin Albert Teal.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.84 Dragon in Burragorang Valley: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943 at 1007 LT

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.84 Dragon

Operator:

Registration:

A34-47

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Sydney – Melbourne

MSN:

2036

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route, the twin engine aircraft disappeared. No trace of it nor the crew was ever found. It is believed that the aircraft crashed in the Burragorang Valley, and could possibly be submerged under the waters of Warragamba Dam.
Crew (34th Squadron):
Sgt Douglas Brian Doyle, pilot,
F/O Geoffrey Hugh Lester,
Sgt Francis Joseph Doyle,
Lt Umstead,
Lt Teague.
Source: http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Brisbane: 23 killed

Date & Time: Mar 27, 1943 at 0512 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

A65-2

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Brisbane – Sydney

MSN:

6149

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

121

Circumstances:

One minute after take off from Brisbane-Archerfield Airport by night, while in initial climb, the aircraft entered a patch of fog, banked to the left up to vertical position and crashed in a wooded area located 1 mile south of the airport. All 23 occupants were killed. The aircraft had also the civil registration VH-CTB.
Crew:
F/O Alexander Ken Arnold, pilot,
Sgt Joseph Hammond, copilot,
LAC Samuel Ivan Wiles, fitter,
Sgt Lyle Carter Morgan, wireless operator.
Passengers:
Sgt John Atherton,
LAC Thomas William Beckley,
P/O David Andrew Blackley,
LAC John Edward Chinner,
Sgt Robert William Tylden Chisholm,
LAC Kevin Francis Flanagan,
LAC Charles Paton Eric Fly,
Cpl Violet May Gunning,
Maj E. H. Halliwell, US Army,
Cpl Ruth Ada Hills,
Acw Florence May Jackson,
Sgt Max Irvenia Thomas Jarvis,
LAC Terrence Joseph Kelly,
LAC Kenneth Owen Paton,
1st Lt F. M. Skinner, US Army,
Lt Irwin Leo Smith,
P/O Alfred Tatlock,
LAC Geoffrey Frederick Waters,
Cpl Thomas Keith McDowell Watt.
Source: http://www.adf-gallery.com.au & Grahame Higgs

Probable cause:

At the time of the accident there was much speculation about the loss of an engine, although the investigation team could find no evidence of any unserviceability with any of the aircraft systems. Ultimately the investigation in 1943 cited error of judgement and poor technique on the part of the pilot as the cause. Hopefully today we would not be so damning. Final verdicts of pilot error are not acceptable anymore. Pilots do not set out to crash airplanes so what happened to cause this crew to err. In this case it could be a case of Spatial Disorientation, or as Bob Livingstone has suggested, caged Gyros, both of which can lead rapidly to loss of control. In his defense, F/O Arnold had only 121 hours on type of which a mere 14 hours were as captain.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-232A in Melbourne

Date & Time: Mar 19, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

VH-ACB

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Melbourne – Sydney – Brisbane

MSN:

2030

YOM:

1938

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after take off from Melbourne-Essendon Airport, the crew encountered technical problems with the engines. Unable to maintain a safe altitude, the captain decided to make an emergency landing and completed a gear-up landing 7 km north of the airport. The aircraft skidded for several yards before coming to rest and was damaged beyond repair. All 15 occupants were unhurt. The aircraft was christened 'Warana'.

Probable cause:

Engine failure caused by carburetor problems.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.60X Moth in Sydney

Date & Time: Jun 17, 1940

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.60 Moth

Operator:

Cape Breton Flying Club

Registration:

CF-CED

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Sydney - Sydney

MSN:

488

YOM:

1928

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On approach to Sydney, the single engine aircraft stalled and crashed. Both occupants were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Short S.23 Empire Flying Boat near Habbaniya Lake: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 27, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Short S.23 Empire Flying Boat

Operator:

Registration:

G-AETW

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Positioning

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Southampton – Sydney

MSN:

S.839

YOM:

1937

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Southampton to Sydney and while flying over Iraq at night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with a sandstorm. Apparently in an attempt to maintain a visual contact with the ground, the crew reduced his altitude when the float plane named 'Calpurnia' hit the ground at full power and crashed. All four crew members were killed.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I near Liverpool: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 29, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

A4-27

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

MSN:

1022

YOM:

1937

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a bombing training mission over the Green Hills Bombing Range located near Liverpool on behalf of the 22nd Squadron. While making a turn, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed. All five occupants were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt M. P. Alsopp, pilot,
Cpl W. A. Lockwood,
AC1 R. Lawson,
LAC J. Gordon,
AC1 J. Mackey.

Probable cause:

In their final report published 18 May 1939, the Investigation Board concluded that no specific cause was found. It was determined that the aircraft side-slipped into ground while turning.

Crash of an Avro 616 Avian IVM in Sydney

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1937

Type of aircraft:

Avro 616 Avian IVM

Operator:

Cape Breton Flying Club

Registration:

CF-CDG

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Sydney - Sydney

MSN:

307

YOM:

1930

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The student pilot was performing a local solo training flight out from Sydney Airport. For unknown reason, he missed the approach and the airplane landed hard. Upon touchdown, he went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and the pilot was unhurt.

Crash of an Avro 616 Avian IVM in Sydney

Date & Time: Jun 28, 1937

Type of aircraft:

Avro 616 Avian IVM

Operator:

Cape Breton Flying Club

Registration:

CF-CAZ

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Sydney - Sydney

MSN:

284

YOM:

1929

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a local training flight out of Sydney, Nova Scotia. On approach, the crew encountered unknown problems and was forced to make an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in Reserve Mines, less than a mile from the airport. Both occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.