Date & Time:
Sep 14, 1954 at 1445 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-414 Hudson
Operator:
Registration:
VH-SML
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Sydney – Taree – Kempsey – Armidale – Glen Innes – Tamworth
MSN:
414-6049
YOM:
1941
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
1
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Sydney-Mascot at 1400LT on a newspaper delivery flight to Tamworth with intermediate stops in Taree, Kempsey, Armidale and Glen Innes. At 1437LT, the crew informed ground about his position and confirmed his ETA in Taree at 1501LT. About eight minutes later, the airplane hit trees and crashed in a dense wooded area located about 10 km north of the Chichester Dam. As the airplane failed to arrive, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended two weeks later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. Fifteen months later, on December 22, 1955, the pilot of a Butler Air Transport DH.114 Heron spotted the wreckage that was found about 20 feet below the summit. All three occupants have been killed.
Crew:
Cpt Douglas Hereward Swain, pilot,
F/O Alistair Sydney Cole-Milne, copilot.
Passenger:
Cpt D. Burns.
Crew:
Cpt Douglas Hereward Swain, pilot,
F/O Alistair Sydney Cole-Milne, copilot.
Passenger:
Cpt D. Burns.
