ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 28772
Last updated: 7 January 2021
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| Date: | 24-APR-1954 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | de Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide |
| Owner/operator: | Fiji Airways |
| Registration: | VQ-FAL |
| C/n / msn: | 6707 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Labasa Airport, Labasa, Vanua Levu Island -
 Fiji
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Labasa Airport, Labasa, Vanua Levu Island, Fiji (LBS/LFNL) |
| Nadi Airport, Nadi, Viti Levu, Fiji (NAN/NFFN) |
c/no.6707: Taken on charge as HG722 against Contract No.6/Acft/2580/C20a at 18 MU 11.3.44. To Metropolitan Communications Squadron, Hendon 24.9.45; coded "CB-E". To 18 MU 6.8.46. To 5 MU RAF Kemble 11.1.49.
Sold 13.2.50 to Allen Aircraft Services Ltd. Registered G-ALWP (CofR 14898) 23.1.50 to Allen Aircraft Services Ltd, Croydon. Cancelled and re-registered 4.5.50 to Charles W.J. Allen, Old Coulsdon (based Croydon). CofA 10892 issued 26.7.50. Cancelled 3.8.50 and registered 23.8.50 to Airwork Ltd, London W1 (based Gatwick). New CofR No R1927 issued 1.9.50. Cancelled 28.5.51 and registered 4.6.51 to W.S. Shackleton Ltd, London W1. Registration cancelled 28.6.51 as "sold abroad - VQ-FAL".
Delivered 27.7.51 ex W.S. Shackleton to Harold Gatty, Suva, Fiji. Registered VQ-FAL 21.8.51 to [Gatty's company] Katafanga Estates Ltd t/a Fiji Airways. On 1.9.51 VQ-FAL carried out Fiji Airways first ever scheduled flight; to quote the official history of Fiji Airways:
"On 1st September 1951, a 7-seater De Havilland Dragon Rapide took off from the Fiji’s Nausori Airport to Drasa Airport near Lautoka, on the west coast of the main island. This first commercial flight saw the birth of what today is a truly international, Fijian airline."
Crashed following port engine failure on take-off and destroyed by fire at Labasa Airport, Labasa, Macuata Province, Vanua Levu Island, Fiji 24.4.54; no casualties among the six persons on board (crew of two plus four passengers)
Sources:
1. https://www.ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/dh89.pdf
2. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ALWP.pdf
3. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-de-havilland-dh89a-dragon-rapide-labasa
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p067.html
5. https://www.facebook.com/notes/fiji-museum/fijis-aviation-history/432116263515229/
6. http://aerobernie.bplaced.net/Fiji%20Airways.html
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labasa_Airport
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji_Airways#Origins
9. https://www.fijiairways.com/en-gb/about-fiji-airways/our-history/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2008 01:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 28-Dec-2011 08:52 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Date, Aircraft type, Cn, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 23-Feb-2019 22:10 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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