Date & Time: Feb 14, 1946 at 1445 LT
Type of aircraft:
Noorduyn Norseman
Operator:
Registration:
A71-4
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Townsville – Cooktown – Iron Range
MSN:
182
YOM:
1943
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Departed Cairns for Iron Range Camp, stopped at Cooktown for fuel then encountered severe weather conditions near Iron Range. Radio contact was lost and the aircraft reported missing. An aerial search was mounted over the next four days by RAAF and civilian search planes. Five days later, a Catalina located the wreckage near the old Claudie bush strip 10 miles south of Iron Range. A RAAF Court of Enquiry determined that the aircraft crashed after it struck a tree at 1445LT when trying to land at Claudie strip in bad weather. The aircraft was destroyed and all three on board were killed. Access to crash site was impossible because of flood waters.
Crew:
F/O Colin William Law,
F/Sgt John Brian Crawford,
F/Sgt George Morris Geisel.
Source: http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/