Oceania

The pilot, sole on board, was performing a cargo flight from Minj to Mendi, carrying a load of cement bags. While approaching Mendi, weather conditions deteriorated. The single engine aircraft went through a valley in thunderstorm activity when it struck the slope of a mountain and disintegrated on impact. The pilot was killed.

For unknown reason, the airplane landed hard and was considered as damaged beyond repair. There were no injuries among the crew. The accident occurred by night.

Carrying one pilot, a navigator and a photographer, the aircraft departed Lae on a photographic survey flight over the Wewak area, but conditions proved unfavourable for photography and it was decided to return to Lae. Lae tower was called five minutes before arrival and landing instructions were passed, in which it was advised that Runway 32 was to be used, the wind velocity being 300 degrees at 15 knots with gusts to 20 knots. Just before turning on to base leg the aircraft was cleared to do a practice asymmetric landing, but was warned to expect turbulence on the final approach. This was acknowledged by the aircraft. Witnesses agree that the aircraft was very low at the time of entering the final approach from a right-hand base leg with the left-hand propeller feathered. They also agreed that, following what sounded to be a marked increase in the power setting when 300 yards from the end of the strip, the aircraft rolled to the left and dived into the water in a partly inverted attitude. All three occupants perished.
Crew:
Allen Motteram, pilot,
Patrick Murphy, navigator,
Passenger:
Gordon Murrell, photographer.

The approach to Raiatea lagoon was performed in good weather conditions with a grey ceiling (altostratus) and several fractocumulus at 400 meters, good visibility. No wind and no waves on the sea gaves a very calm lagoon. While completing a last turn to the right to align to the landing area (seaplane base), the right wing tip struck the water surface. The airplane cartwheeled and crashed into the sea about 1,400 meters short of landing point. Eleven passengers were injured while 15 other occupants, among them all three crew members, were killed. The airplane sank by a depth of 36 meters ten minutes later.

Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft turned to the right but failed to climb and after travelling some 8 miles was landed in an open field and overturned. All three occupants were slightly injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The flight was a routine cargo flight from Woodbourne to Timaru via Paraparaumu. After take-off the aircraft was climbed to 2 500 ft on instruments and a period of asymmetric instrument flying followed during which the starboard pro- peller was feathered and rate half turns were made in both directions. The starboard propeller was unfeathered and when the minimum operating temperatures had been reached, normal power was applied. Two minutes later a sudden and severe vibration was felt throughout the aircraft. Feathering of the port engine was delayed until nearer the North Island coastline, and no further vibration was felt on the remainder of the flight to Paraparaumu. The aircraft was then loaded and one crew member was off-loaded prior to take-off on the second segment of the flight to Timaru. At 1127 hours the flight called Harewood Tower giving its position as 6 miles north of the Wairnakariri River mouth at 3 000 ft contact. It was subsequently cleared to maintain 3 000 ft to the Harewood Range Station. It then advised that it would descend VFR from the Range Station and proceed VFR to Timaru and was subsequently cleared for this procedure by Harewood Tower. At 1133 hours, at an approximate height of 2 000 ft, the aircraft was seen to suffer structural failure in the air. The starboard outer wing folded upwards and backwards and then separated. The remainder of the aircraft performed a series of violent manoeuvres while diving towards the ground at a mean angle of 35°' shedding a number of major components before finally striking the ground 1 000 yards beyond the point of wing separation. The 2 crew and 2 passengers aboard were killed, and the aircraft was destroyed.

Lodestar ZK-BMC was operating several topdressing sorties in the area of Bideford. On the morning of October 20, the plane departed at 05:15 on the first sortie of the day. The operation proceeded normally, each flight taking 17 to 18 minutes to complete. At 06:40 hours it was apparent that a front was approaching from the south. The pilot decided to carry out one more flight and departed Masterton at 07:00. The aircraft struck a hill 1,350 feet (410 m) amsl, 8 feet below the crest in drizzle and poor visibility. Both pilots were killed.

The airplane was engaged in a local sightseeing flight over the region of Whangarei, carrying one pilot, two adults, a mother and her one year-old baby. After takeoff, while climbing to a height of 300 feet, the engine failed. The pilot made a turn to the left, reduced his altitude and decided to return to the airport. He elected several times to restart the engine but without success. Eventually, he was forced to ditch the aircraft that crashed into the Whangarei harbor. The pilot evacuated the cabin and was able to assist both adults and the baby but unfortunately, the woman was trapped and could not be saved. The aircraft was lost.

At 0735 hours, the aircraft departed Horn Island with only the normal crew on board to conduct aerial photography over the northern portion of the Cape York Peninsula. The aircraft returned to Horn Island at about midday and was refueled to full tanks. The crew lunched with the crew of World Wide Aerial Surveys Hudson VH-SMM which was also conducting aerial photography in the area. After lunch the three passengers boarded VH-AGO which set course for Weipa Mission at 1516 hours. At 1523 hours, Captain Linfoot advised the communication station on Thursday Island that he was returning to Horn Island with engine trouble and requesting that VH-SMM be held on the ground at Horn Island to render assistance if required. Following a baulked approach at Horn Island, the aircraft crashed on a tidal mud shelf 1.25 miles north-west of Horn Island Aerodrome at approximately 1535 hours. It was subsequently established that the port engine had seized as a result of a master rod bearing failure. The inquiry determined that VH-AGO had a total time of 3083 hours with 260 hours since last overhaul.
The following account of the accident is extracted from "Aviation Safety Digest":
"The aircraft was temporarily based at the Weipa Mission aerodrome, northern Queensland, with the normal crew consisting of a pilot, a navigator and a photographic assistant. On the day before the accident the aircraft was flown on a private flight from Weipa Mission to the Horn Island aerodrome with three non-paying passengers aboard in addition to the crew. The aircraft remained overnight at Horn Island, and early on the following morning took off with the normal crew, and carried out survey work over a period of some four hours. The aircraft returned to Horn lsland at about midday and was refueled. During the same morning another Hudson aircraft (VH-SMM of WWAS. Ed.) engaged on photographic survey work had arrived at the aerodrome and the two crews lunched together. Both aircraft were prepared for departure and the three passengers again boarded the Weipa Mission aircraft, which took-off first and set course at 1518 hours E.S.T. intending to climb to 7,000 feet en route for Weipa, 45 minutes flying time to the south. Five minutes after departure the pilot of this aircraft advised the communication station at Thursday Island that trouble had developed in the port engine and that he was returning, to land at Horn Island. He also asked that the other Hudson aircraft be held on the ground in case some assistance was needed. At the stage that this message was relayed to the captain of the second Hudson the aircraft was lined up for take-oft but immediately vacated the strip. The captain watched the circuit and approach of the other aircraft from a position clear of, but adjacent to, the threshold of Runway 08. The returning aircraft was seen to cross Runway 08 and then turn downwind at a height of 1,500-1,700 feet and proceed with a left-hand circuit towards the threshold of that runway. As the aircraft turned on to final approach at about the normal distance from the threshold but still unusually high, the ground observers noticed that the undercarriage had not been extended. The aircraft continued to descend in this configuration and it seemed likely at this stage that a wheels-up landing would be made well down the strip. When the aircraft had reached a point approximately 600 feet from the threshold and 150 feet above ground level the undercarriage was observed to extend and it was also noticed that the port propeller was feathered. At this point there appeared to be no wing flap extended and the aircraft crossed the strip threshold at a height of more than 100 feet and at a speed estimated to be well in excess of the normal approach speed. Soon after the aircraft had passed the threshold it was seen to roll and turn to port and this motion continued until the aircraft disappeared from view at such a height and angle of bank that an accident seemed imminent. The pilot of the Hudson on the ground immediately took-off and located the wrecked aircraft on a coral mud shelf just beyond the northern shore of the island. Ground parties discovered that the aircraft had been virtually destroyed by very high impact forces and the six occupants had lost their lives."
Those on board at the time of the crash were:
Joseph (Joe) Linfoot (Captain)
Hermione Ivy (Josie) Linfoot (Wife of the Captain)
Graham Holstock (Navigator)
Harold Corrigan (Camera Operator)
William Frank Mitchell (Director of Mitchell Aerial Services Pty Ltd, Cairns)
Lionel Kenneth George Jeffery (a pilot intending to join Adastra).
Source & photos:
http://www.adastron.com/adastra/aircraft/hudson/vh-ago.htm

Struck a submerged obstacle while landing on Kikori River. The aircraft quickly sank and was lost. Both crew members were rescued.