Date & Time:
Oct 2, 1935 at 0955 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.86 Express
Operator:
Registration:
VH-URT
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Sydney – Melbourne – Whitemark – Launceston – Hobart
MSN:
2312
YOM:
1935
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
2
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane was approaching Whitemark Airport (Flinders Island) when it crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea, some 3 km offshore. The aircraft named Loina was destroyed and all five occupants were killed.
Crew:
Norman Evans, pilot,
Maxwell Brown, copilot,
Edward Best, flight engineer.
Passengers:
G. S. Anderson,
G. Garlick.
Crew:
Norman Evans, pilot,
Maxwell Brown, copilot,
Edward Best, flight engineer.
Passengers:
G. S. Anderson,
G. Garlick.
Probable cause:
It was determined that VH-URT had gone into an uncontrollable spin, and three possible precipitating factors were: a loss of control after a power plant failure, the fouling of the tail surfaces while the trailing aerial was being reeled in or a structural failure. There was also evidence of a small fire in the rear of its cabin, which may have occurred before the crash, but this probably did not factor in the accident. And in view of two fatal accidents and other difficulties with the type, Australia would subsequently suspend the certificate of airworthiness of the De Havilland 86.
