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Date: | Saturday 17 November 1984 |
Time: | 08:40 |
Type: | de Havilland DH-84A Dragon III |
Owner/operator: | Robert St.John |
Registration: | VH-AQU |
MSN: | 2048 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
Location: | 10 km East of Beachport, SA -
Australia
|
Phase: | Landing |
Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
Departure airport: | Strathalbyn Airport, Strathalbyn, South Australia (YSYN) |
Destination airport: | Portland Airport, Portland, Victoria (POD/YPOD) |
Investigating agency: | BASI |
Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:c/no 2048: Built for RAAF as A34-59. Taken on charge 3.3.43. To 5 OTU 6.4.43. To 4 Communications Unit 28.12.43. To 5 SFTS 17.3.44. Operated by 6 Communications Unit 14.9.44-1.12.44. Sold 13.12.45 to D.S. [Syd] Marshall, Rochdale, NSW. Registered VH-AQU 27.9.46 to Syd Marshall, Bankstown, Sydney, NSW. Registration cancelled as "withdrawn from use" 28.9.48; restored 14.4.49.
Registration cancelled as "withdrawn from use" (again) 11.1.55. Registered 10.9.57 to Marshall Airways, Bankstown, Sydney, NSW. Registration cancelled 30.9.70. Stored at Bankstown, Sydney, NSW [in 1976]. Registered 14.11.79 to Robert J Fox, Henley Beach South, SA. Registration cancelled 12.3.82. [Reportedly in RAAF c/s as A34-59 at Parafield Air Show 17.10.82]. Re-registered 18.11.83 to R St John, Henley Beach, SA [based at Parafield, later Aldinga, SA]; painted in red/white "Coca Cola" colours.
Damaged in a landing accident 10 km east of Beachport, SA: According to the ATSB accident report:
"After refuelling, the pilot found one of the tanks contaminated with water. The fuel was drained from the tank and clean fuel added. No contamination was found in the subsequent check of the fuel in the tank. The aircraft was then washed using a high pressure water hose. During the following flight, the engines began to run roughly and the pilot decided to carry out a landing in a paddock. The surface of the paddock was rough and the aircraft bounced heavily and ground-looped, collapsing the right gear. The investigation revealed that water had been present in the fuel system for sometime. Because of the design of the fuel system it is not possible to drain the lowest point of the fuel tank while the aircraft is parked. It is probable that the engine rough running was caused by a combination of contaminated fuel and a sticking valve".
Registered 15.5.85 to Hawker de Havilland Ltd, Bankstown, Sydney, NSW; immediately repainted in RAAF colours as A34-59 "XJ-A". Re-registered VH-DHX 22.12.86 [or 19.11.86] to same owner. Allocated to Power House Museum, Sydney 1993. Registered 25.8.94 to Nick Challinor, Murwillumbah, NSW. Registration cancelled 28.12.2000 as "sold to England".
Registered as G-ECAN 11.1.2001 to Torquil Patrick Alexander Norman, Rendcomb, for rebuild [by Cliff Lovell/Hants Light Plane Services Ltd, Chilbolton]. Registered 29.11.2001 to Alexander Jesse Norman, trustee Norman Aeroplane Trust, London NW.1 [aircraft based Rendcomb]. Re-flown 28.5.20003; painted in "Railway Air Services" colours. C of A issued 26.6.03. Nominal change of registration 19.9.2013 to Casey William Norman, trustee Norman Aeroplane Trust. Currently registered.
Accident investigation:
|
| |
Investigating agency: | BASI |
Report number: | |
Status: | Investigation completed |
Duration: | |
Download report: | Final report |
|
Sources:
1.
https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH84.pdf 2.
https://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/dh84-pt2/dh84-dragon-pt2.htm 3.
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1984/aair/aair198403577/ 4.
https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/32507/aair198403577.pdf 5.
http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pAus01.html 6.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beachport Media:
G-EACN at The 2021 Gathering of Moths, an event organised by The de Havilland Moth Club, Old Warden, Bedfordshire, UK 11th September 2021
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
13-Jul-2018 11:11 |
Pineapple |
Added |
24-Oct-2022 17:13 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category] |
24-Oct-2022 17:13 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Narrative] |
24-Oct-2022 17:14 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Aircraft type] |