Oceania

The aircraft was performing an ambulance flight from Tablelands to Derby, carrying a young ill child, his father, two nurses and one pilot on behalf of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Enroute, weather conditions worsened and the pilot encountered thunderstorm activity with turbulences when control was lost. The aircraft crashed on the Hawkstone Peak located in the King Leopold Ranges. As the airplane failed to arrive in Derby, SAR operations were conducted but the wreckage was found three weeks later only. All five occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Pieter van Emmerick.
Passengers:
Sister Frances Day, nurse,
Sister Helen Newman, nurse,
one patient and his father.

A tire burst during takeoff at Wanaaring Airport and the aircraft went out of control and came to rest. The pilot, sole on board, was uninjured.

After landing at Invercargill Airport, the twin engine aircraft encountered difficulties to stop, overran and came to rest into a ditch. Both pilots were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The crew was performing a cargo flight from Melbourne to Hobart, carrying a load of refrigeration equipment. While descending to Hobart, the crew passed through the clouds at 2,000 feet then completed a turn over the Frederick Henry Bay when the aircraft crashed into the bay about 13 km from the runway 30 threshold. The captain Peter Kemp was rescued while the copilot Alan Jay was killed.

The pilot, Captain Brian McCook, left Suva-Nausori Airport at 0756LT Bound for Nadi. Enroute, while cruising at low altitude, the airplane hit trees and crashed in a gorge called Wainivatumbuso, near Nasauvere. Bleeding heavily from gashes to his face and legs, he walked through dense undergrowth until found by a native out pig hunting. The aircraft was written off.

Shortly after takeoff from Bourke Airport, while in initial climb, the right engine failed. The crew elected to feather the propeller but this was not possible as the propeller windmilled at 600 rpm. Due to high drag, the captain decided to attempt a belly landing in a field located 2 km from the airport. On touchdown, the aircraft slid for 125 meters then struck a tree, causing the right wing to be sheared off. It then slid for another 55 meters before coming to rest in flames. All 13 occupants escaped without injuries while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

The twin engine aircraft was engaged in a local sightseeing flight, carrying two European tourists and one pilot. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing, both engines encountered problems. The aircraft stalled and crashed in the harbor of Madang and came to rest upside down. All three occupants were quickly rescued and uninjured. An attempt to recover the airplane was made on November 8 but it broke in two when it went out of water.

Shortly after takeoff from Darwin Airport, while climbing, the four engine aircraft suffered a bird strike. As an engine lost power, the aircraft stalled and crashed past the runway end. All 25 occupants were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Shortly after takeoff from Minj Airstrip, while in initial climb, the engine failed. The aircraft stalled and crashed in a field. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

10 Squadron RAAF had received a telephone call late on Good Friday night from the Townsville hospital seeking an emergency evacuation to Brisbane of a critically jaundiced 2 day old baby, Robyn Huxley. As most of the Squadron's air crew were on leave or stand-down over Easter, the Commanding Officer of 10 Squadron, Wing Commander John Costello decided to pilot the Squadron's only serviceable aircraft, A73-64, for the evacuation flight. The crew consisted of the new Commanding Officer Wing Commander Costello who had flown Sunderlands during the war against the German U Boats in the Atlantic, the Senior Navigation Officer, Squadron Leader Finlay, who was a wartime Pathfinder navigator, the squadron Chief Signaler, Flight Lieutenant Cater, and the squadron Senior Engineering Officer, Squadron Leader Mason. The baby girl and nurse Mafalda Gray were positioned in the long-nosed section of the Lincoln bomber. The aircraft took off from Garbutt airfield at 00.30 am on Saturday 9 April 1955. The aircraft encountered some cloud and rain as it approached southern Queensland. The aircraft had to fly at a relatively low altitude to ensure the baby had a comfortable flight. At 4.05 am the aircraft contacted Brisbane Air Traffic Control to advise that they were flying in cloud at 6,000 feet. They advised that they would arrive in Brisbane in about 10 minutes time and sought a clearance to reduce altitude to 5,000 feet. Brisbane Air Traffic Control advised that they were cleared to drop to 5,000 feet and if they wished they could drop to 4,000 feet for the approach to Eagle Farm airfield. A short time later Brisbane Air Traffic Control contacted them with weather information and asked them to confirm when they had obtained a visual fix on the town of Caboolture. No further reports were heard from the Lincoln bomber. There were no low clouds in the Brisbane area at that time. Some time later, reports came in that an aircraft, later confirmed as a Lincoln, was heard to circle over the town of Bell at about 3.30 am. Bell is located about 18 miles north east of Dalby. Clearly A73-64 was well off course. The weather south of Bell was overcast with scattered rain. At 4.14 am some members of the Brisbane Bushwalking Club heard a large aircraft fly overhead followed by the noise of an impact and some large explosions. By their estimation it had slammed into a nearby mountain in the Main Range region of the Border Ranges near Emu Vale. This was later confirmed to be Mount Superbus, the highest mountain (1,375 meters) in southern Queensland. A small group from the Bushwalking club was dispatched immediately to Emu Vale to notify the relevant authorities. Five hours later a Canberra bomber from Amberley airbase was able to confirm the location of the still burning wreckage of Lincoln, A73-64 just below the summit of Mount Superbus. Ground rescue crews were dispatched to the site. They quickly confirmed that there were no survivors.
Crew (10th Squadron):
W/Cdr John Peter Costello, pilot,
S/Ldr Charles Surtees Mason, copilot,
S/Ldr John Watson Finlay, navigator,
F/Lt William George Stanley Cater, signaler.
Passengers:
Baby Robyn Huxley,
Sister Mafalda Gray.
Source: http://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/superbus.htm