ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 300530
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| Date: | Friday 16 August 1957 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | de Havilland DH.84 Dragon Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | Lionel A Wall, t/a Air Charter Services |
| Registration: | VH-SJW |
| MSN: | 2020 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Mount Douglas, 13 miles NE of Bullawallah near Charters Towers, Qld -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Townsville Airport, Townsville, Queensland (TSV/YBTL) |
08.12.42: Built Mascot by De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd to RAAF order for 87 aircraft.
10.12.42: First flight at Mascot, Sydney, NSW
14.12.42: Taken on RAAF charge as A34-31. Received No 2 Aircraft Park (2AP) at Bankstown airport, Sydney, NSW, ex-De Havilland's at Mascot
16.12.42: Received 36 Squadron, RAAF Garbutt, Queensland ex 2 Aircraft Park (2AP) at Bankstown airport, Sydney, NSW
24.12.42: Crash landing at Tennant Creek, Queensland. Extensive damage, but crew escaped uninjured. Allotted to No 1 Repair & Salvage Unit (1RSU) at Manbulloo, NT same day for repairs.
29.12.42: 1 RSU crew dispatched from Manbulloo, NT to Tennant Creek, Queensland to recover aircraft
05.01.43: Received No 1 Repair & Salvage Unit (1RSU) at Manbulloo, NT. ex 36 Squadron RAAF
01.02.43: Received by 34 Squadron ex-1 Repair & Salvage Unit (1RSU) after repairs completed. Directorate of Air Transport, Allied Air Forces allocated radio call sign VH-CSH, which was painted on the aircraft
26.02.43: Forced landing 1 mile from Oodnadatta due engine failure at 400 feet, struck a ditch and undercarriage destroyed.
07.06.43: Recovered to Oodnadatta for repairs. Signal sent "Now serviceable"
22.06.43; Received 6 Communications Flight ex-34 Squadron RAAF. Renamed 6 Communications Unit 15.11.43
08.10.43: Forced landing due to oil leak from engine. Further info when aircraft returns to base.
18.11.43: 6 Communications Unit Operations Record Book: "Flown Batchelor to North Goulburn Island by 6 Communications Unit Commanding Officer Squadron Leader Clyde Fenton, carrying 2 personnel, fresh meat, vegetables, butter, goods and mail for No.309 Radar Station. Landed in small clearing in tall timber close to unit in order to get fresh food transferred with minimum delay. Sqn Ldr Fenton wrote in ORB: "Pilot, faced with take-off felt like a rat in a trap. Great jubilation among troops at arrival of fresh food supplies, first in history of station. Passengers left behind plus all remaining cargo - even cross-country kit stripped to lighten aircraft. No wind, air hot and thin. Taxied to end, tail pulled back into timber to obtain every available yard of run, brakes kept on, engines revved up. Brakes released, tail rose into flying position in first few yards. Machine airborne after 300 yards but had to climb 50 foot trees, Cleared them with few inches to spare in semi-stalled condition. Pilot's morale complete stalled."
The passengers off-loaded the cargo then walked to an airstrip clearing 2 miles away. Sqn Ldr Fenton flew to South Island to pick up beer supplies left there previously when the unit's launch broke down, loaded on the Dragon by native carriers. Engine failed during run-up prior to takeoff, repaired by Sqn Ldr Fenton assisted by a missionary using blacksmith tools. Flew back to North Goulburn Island to collect the men and cargo: "Another hair-raising takeoff. Thirty degree climbing turn to avoid tall trees. Lower wing tip only just made it - Moorfield says because the tree ducked. However all in a good cause. Troops received first consignment of fresh foods since station established, also a great swag of beer to wash it down."
Sqn Ldr Fenton then flew to South Island to drop two personnel, departed close to dark for Batchelor, NT.
05.05.44: Allocated to De Havilland at Mascot Airport, Sydney, NSW for complete overhaul.
13.07.44: Received at De Havillands, Mascot, Sydney, NSW ex 6 Communications Unit RAAF
11.04.45: Received 2 Aircraft Depot RAAF Richmond ex-De Havillands, Mascot
18.04.45: Received 5 Aircraft Depot for Storage ex 2 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Richmond
24.09.45: Received 6 Comunications Unit RAAF ex 5 Aircraft Depot Storage
05.03.46: Received RAAF Station Darwin, Darwin NT ex-6 Communications Unit
16.05.46: To be offered by Air Board to CDC for disposal
17.05.46: Sold through CDC for £50 to Department of Health, Canberra. Purchased by Commonwealth Department of Health for use by the proposed Northern Territory Aerial Medical Service, Darwin. NTAMS Chief Pilot Jack Slade selected A34-13 & A34-31 because he had flown them with 6 Communications Unit and both had low hours after major overhauls. A damaged airframe A34-23 located at Darwin was also purchased for parts.
05.06.46: Status Card: Issued to purchaser. A34-31 was located in Darwin at the time of disposal, but had low hours since major overhaul.
11.07.46: Director of Civil Aviation allocated registrations VH-ASK & VH-ASL to A34-13 & A34-31 respectively
14.08.46: Departed Darwin on ferry to Sydney flown by Northern Territory Aerial Medical Service chief pilot Jack Slade for CofA conversion and configuration as air ambulance by DH Aircraft Pty Ltd. Jack Slade later recalled "The two serviceable aircraft cost £50 each and A34-23 was £25. De Havillands gave us the stretcher and folding chairs, and the total cost including two Christophersen propellors was around £220. The props cost £50 each and I had a job persuading the Health Department to be so extravagant!"
23.10.46: Registration application: Director-General of Health, Canberra ACT. Signed by J.W.Connell (De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd) and Jack Slade (Dept of Health). Identity quoted as "20"
22.11.46: C of A issued Mascot after overhaul by De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd. Pilot and 5 passenger seats.
22.11.46: Registered VH-ASL Department of Health, Canberra. Operated as Northern Territory Medical Service, Darwin
04.12.46: First Northern Territory Aerial Medical Service medical flight: Darwin to Roper Bar to collect the policeman's 2 year old son who had contracted highly contagious diphtheria. The last two hours of the return flight to Darwin were after dark. Captain Jack Slade
05.12.46: Second Northern Territory Aerial Medical Service medical flight: Darwin to Groote Eylandt for a child who had almost drowned. Return trip flying time 13.5 hours. Captain Jack Slade
08.12.46: Flown Darwin-Roper Bar with Sister Matthews who took cultures from those who had been in contact with the policeman's son. An 8 year old girl exhibited symptoms of diptheria and was evacuated to Darwin but proved to be a false alarm.
12.46: Three more medical flights out of Darwin before Christmas (between 9 and 24 December 1946)
26.12.46: Departed Darwin for "Jindare" Station out of Pine Creek NT to evacuate a critically ill 3 month old child. The property had no airstrip nor radio or telephone contact and was cut off from Pine Creek by flooding rivers. Captain Jack Slade's report: "There is no airstrip at this station, but in view of the urgency of the call and lack of alternative transport, an attempt was made to land in a small clearing. A sudden lull in the wind caused the aircraft to overshoot into light timber and considerable damage was done to the airframe."
Jack Slade and Sister Hill were not injured but the patient died an hour after their arrival. Slade and Hill were retrieved the following day by a truck when river flood levels dropped.
04.01.47: Wreck of VH-ASL was trucked out to Darwin. Shipped to DeHavillands at Mascot, Sydney, NSW for repair
04.07.47: C of A renewed Mascot after repairs by De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd.
16.04.48: Landed on beach at Gunn Point when roads to Darwin were impassable
31.07.48: Flown to Brisbane for C of A renewal by Qantas Empire Airlines. 177 hours logged since last renewal.
11.10.48: C of A renewed Archerfield
23.12.48: Flown Darwin-Katherine-Pine Creek-Darwin by Clyde Fenton, who had not formally renewed his civil pilot licence following RAAF service in WW2. Prosecuted by Director of Civil Aviation, fined £50: reduced to £2 on subsequent appeal, when the fine was paid by a member of the public in the court.
22.12.49: C of A renewed Archerfield
7.5.50: Major damage during a landing accident at Brunette Downs Station NT. Aircraft shipped to Eagle Farm airport for repair by Qantas.
1.51 Under accident rebuild in Brisbane by QEA, due to be completed in two weeks
20.02.51: C of A renewed after repairs completed.
02.07.51: VH-ASL used on short deployments to Alice Springs on 6 weekly basis by Northern Territory Aerial Medical Service, pilot/engineer Harry Moss. Based on the military 7 mile strip, rather than Connellan’s Townsite drome
12.02.52: Ferried from Alice Springs to Brisbane by Northern Territory Aerial Medical Service pilot Harry Moss for C of A renewal. Trans Australia Airlines took over operation and crewing of the Northern Territory Aerial Medical Service aircraft effective from 1 March 1952, so the overhaul was carried out by Trans Australia Airlines at Eagle Farm
02.05.52: C of A renewed at Eagle Farm.
01.05.53: C of A renewed at Eagle Farm
27.07.55: Retired by Northern Territory Aerial Medical Service, replaced by the third Northern Territory Aerial Medical Service DH Drover VH-AZS
29.03.56: Change of ownership: Australian Aircraft Sales, 40 Darlinghurst Road, Kings Cross, Sydney NSW.
29.08.56: Change of ownership: Lionel A. Wall, Townsville Queensland
19.11.56: Re-registered VH-SJW by/to Lionel A. Wall, Townsville Queensland
21.40.57: Struck fence post while taxiing, Tolworth Station Queensland. Director of Civil Aviation Accident report: "Whilst taxiing back to takeoff position, the aircraft collided with a fence post. Carelessness on the part of the pilot in taxiing too close to obstructions. Charter flight, no injuries".
16.08.57: Crashed and burned Mount Douglas, 13 miles North East of Bullawallah near Charters Towers, Pilot William C. Seckold killed. Director of Civil Aviation accident report: "The aircraft crashed in timbered country soon after takeoff. Cause could not be determined". William C Seckold was born after 1928. He was the son of Charles Seckold and Phyllis Riley. He passed away on 16.8.57. William C Seckold is buried in Belgian Gardens Cemetery Townsville Queensland, Australia.
20.02.58: Struck-off Register as "destroyed"
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. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pAus01.html
4. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a34.htm
5. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Seckold-531
6. https://au.geoview.info/mount_douglas,2168472
7. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Seckold-531
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Townsville_Airport#After_World_War_II_to_1990s
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Nov-2022 01:13 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 05-Nov-2022 01:21 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 05-Nov-2022 23:41 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Category] |
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