Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in Laverton

Date & Time: Jul 11, 1948
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AW618
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Laverton - Laverton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During a training sortie in Laverton AFB, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and made an emergency landing in a field located one mile north of the airbase. Both occupants were rescued while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in Cue: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 29, 1948
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VH-BIU
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Cue - Cue
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Cue Airport, while on a local training flight, an engine failed. The aircraft lost height, hit trees and crashed in a wooded area. Both pilots were killed.
Probable cause:
Engine failure shortly after rotation.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.84 Dragon in Turnagain Island

Date & Time: May 12, 1948
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VH-AKX
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Lae – Daru – Horn Island – Sydney
MSN:
2061
YOM:
1943
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On May 11, the pilot John Spiers left Lae on a ferry flight to Sydney for the annual CofA renewal. On May 12, he departed Daru for Horn Island. Halfway across Torres Strait, he encountered a severe rain storm and turned back to Daru. At low level over sea, the pilot saw a small low mudflat island, so made a forced landing there, wrecking the Dragon. No radio on the aircraft, so Spiers waited to be found. A search was made by a Mandated Airlines C-47 with pilots Brian Carpenter and Tom Deegan as far south as the Australian Gulf country for 3 days. When returning to Daru from Horn Island, they spotted the Dragon on the mudflat island with Spiers sitting on the roof of the aircraft. He had been unable to find food and at high tide the island was mostly under water, so he stayed in the cabin of the Dragon while the sea gradually broke up the aircraft for 6 days without food, surviving by drinking rainwater. RAAF Catalina from Port Moresby landed off Turnagain Island, sent a crew member ashore in a rubber dinghy to collect Spiers. A storm blew up so Catalina returned to Moresby, leaving the two men on the island. They were rescued by a pearling lugger sent from Thursday Island.
Source: http://www.goodall.com.au

Crash of a Douglas DC-2-112 in Darwin

Date & Time: May 9, 1948
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
VH-AEN
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1259
YOM:
1934
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on landing in unknown circumstances. There were no casualties.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide in Daly Waters

Date & Time: May 6, 1948 at 1321 LT
Operator:
Registration:
VH-BKM
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Daly Waters – Alice Springs
MSN:
6543
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed one minute after its takeoff from Daly Waters while performing a delivery flight to Alice Springs with two crew and two ladies as passengers on board. After takeoff, during the initial climb, while at an altitude of 150 feet, both engines failed simultaneously. The captain elected to make an emergency landing in a prairie but at the last moment, the left engine regained power. The aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames. All four occupants were injured while the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure.

Crash of an Avro 694 Lincoln in Amberley: 16 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1948 at 1745 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A73-11
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Laverton-Amberley
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
16
Circumstances:
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/
Probable cause:
The accident was caused by a bad load distribution of freight and passengers for the landing, which resulted in the C of G being placed outside the aft limit. This situation occurred principally through the carriage of freight in an aircraft not designed for such a purpose. It was possible for the aircraft to take off at Laverton and fly to Amberley with the C of G outside the aft limit of 66 inches. It is probable also, that with cruising power, the aircraft could be trimmed for level flight, albeit abnormally tail heavy.
Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed 10 Electra near Condamine

Date & Time: Feb 11, 1948
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VH-AEC
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Brisbane – Roma
MSN:
1034
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Enroute from Brisbane-Archerfield to Roma, while flying in the region of Condamine in poor weather conditions, the right engine failed. The crew reduced his altitude and elected to make an emergency landing when the aircraft hit a tree and crashed in a field. A passenger and a pilot were slightly injured while all other occupants were unarmed. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Failure of the right engine in flight.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly in Guildford

Date & Time: Dec 1, 1947
Operator:
Registration:
VH-ADG
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Guildford – Bunbury
MSN:
7516
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll, the aircraft skidded, veered off runway and came to rest upside down. All three occupants were rescued, one of the passenger was slightly injured.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414-08 Hudson IV in Balmoral Station: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 30, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VH-SMJ
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
414-6046
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Crashed and burned on Balmoral Station south of Muswellbrook, while on a trial newspaper dropping flight. The aircraft was preparing to drop newspapers in an open area when it appeared to dive almost vertically into the ground. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Geoff Hoskins, pilot,
Edward Conner, copilot.
Source: http://www.adastron.com/lockheed/hudson/vh-smj.htm
Probable cause:
The investigation attributed the accident to loss of control arising out of incorrect loading. This aircraft was destroyed before its Certificate of Registration was issued and thus the registration VH-SMJ was technically not taken up.
VH-SMJ was not registered by this Department in that no Certificate of Registration had been issued, although an application, dated 19th May 1947, had been lodged at Mascot. It appears that this application was held at Mascot for some months and was finally forwarded to this Head Office with the Interim Certificate of Airworthiness. There is no indication as to when these documents were received at Head Office, but it seems likely that it was prior to the accident as the forwarding date on the Interim CofA is 24th October 1947. The fact that VH-SMJ flew without a CofR constitutes a breach of ANR No 108, but it is considered that no action should be taken as the operator, in making application, complied with the spirit of the Regulation. Also, the fact that the letters VH-SMJ had been allotted probably created the impression that the aircraft was actually registered.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson in Kempsey

Date & Time: Aug 8, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VH-BCH
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Sydney – Kempsey
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a cargo flight from Sydney-Mascot. On touchdown in Kempsey, the undercarriage collapsed. The aircraft skidded on runway, came to rest and was damaged beyond repair. Both pilots were unarmed.