Date:	Wednesday 29 November 1933
Time:	16:00 LT
Type:	de Havilland DH.60X Moth
Owner/operator:	Aero Club of Western Australia
Registration:	VH-UGO
MSN:	424
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Picton Junction, near Bunbury, Western Australia -   Australia
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Illegal Flight
Departure airport:	E. Rose Paddock, Picton Junction, Western Australia
Destination airport:	Maylands Aerodrome, Perth, Western Australia

Narrative:
DH.60X Moth VH-UGO: Crashed at Picton Junction, near Bunbury, Western Australia 29.11.33; both persons on board - pilot Stanley Waldo Catlett and passenger Colin Hordern Teede - were killed. Colin H. Teede was killed on 29 November 1933 in Bunbury’s only fatal plane crash, which occurred at Picton Junction. Colin had requested to accompany the Pilot on a brief joy flight over Bunbury, prior to the plane flying onwards to Perth.

Unfortunately, the plane experienced a mechanical mishap and fell to the ground, killing Teede and the pilot Stanley Waldo Catlett. Investigations revealed that Catlett only held a British Pilot’s licence. He had flown to Bunbury as a passenger in Miss Williams' Moth VH-UJH and he then flew the Aero Club Moth VH-UGO without authorisation. Colin H Teede is interred in the Bunbury General Cemetery.

As reported in a contemporary local newspaper (Mount Barker and Denmark Record (Albany, WA) Thursday 30 November 1933 Page 1 - see link #1)

"PLANE CRASH
BUNBURY RESIDENTS KILLED IN ILLICIT JOY RIDE.
BUNBURY, Nov. 29
A shocking accident occurred at Picton Junction at about 4 o'clock this afternoon, when a West Australian Aero Club Moth plane crashed into some trees in the neighbourhood of the superphosphate works. The passenger was killed almost instantly, and the pilot succumbed to his injuries soon after reaching the hospital.

Those killed are Colin Teede (21), the passenger, of Bunbury, and Stan Catlett (28), of Bunbury, pilot.

Catlett visited Perth and did some flying in Club planes during the week-end. Yesterday morning he went to Maylands Aerodrome and asked the instructor for a Club plane as he intended to do some flying.

Catlett gave the impression that he wanted to fly in the neighbourhood of the ranges. He was given the
Cirrus Moth VH-UGO, which was the oldest machine owned by the Club, and a great favourite (with the pilots.

Catlett took off a few minutes before 11 o'clock, and had not returned by 1 p.m., when Instructor Allen called to take another plane to Morrowa leaving instructions with the Club's ground engineer, Mr. H. Penn, to begin enquiries should Catlett fail to return at the expiration of three hours as he only had petrol for that period. In due course the Club's Secretary, Mr. R. H. Grabham, was informed that the plane was missing. Grabham commenced making enquiries at aerodromes round the country districts, and eventually was informed
that the plane had arrived at Bunbury.

A Club official then attempted to get in touch with Catlett who had landed at Picton Junction. The next news the Club received was that the plane had crashed and that a passenger had been killed outright, while the pilot was not expected to live.

It was learned that Catlett on arrival, landing at Picton had been met by two friends, one of whom had arranged to fly back to Perth with Catlett. His friend returned to Bunbury and procured petrol supplies, and on his return, Catlett informed him that he was going to take Colin Teede for a joy ride before returning to Perth.

The plane took off from Mr. E. Rose's paddock, into an easterly breeze, and climbed steadily, then circled round the superphosphate works. While still turning the machine was seen to drop its nose. The engine stopped, and the machine spun violently three times before vanishing amongst the trees. Then came a terrific crash.

Spectators rushed to the scene and found the pilot and passenger lying amongst the twisted wreckage. Teede was dead, and Catlett was gravely injured. Both were dragged clear and conveyed to Hospital, where Catlett died soon after admission.

An eye-witness of the crash, who reached the scene among the first, said the wings were torn off by the trees in the crash, while the fuselage was smashed and splintered by the force of the impact. The nose of the machine had struck squarely against a tree trunk, telescoping the engine into the machine. Teede had been flung out of the machine, and was scarcely marked, but there was a gaping wound in Catlett's head.

The police and the ambulance were notified immediately. The plane was uninsured, owing to the extremely high premium necessary. Catlett had no permission to make a cross country flight, nor any permit to carry passengers. Catlett, who recently returned from England where he had been riding in motor cycling dirt track championships, had learned to fly while in England, and had joined the West Australian Aero Club on his return. The victims of the crash will be burled to-morrow at Bunbury."

Registration cancelled 16.2.34 as "destroyed". Total time on airframe 2,170.30 hours. Picton Junction is a locality in City of Bunbury, Western Australia. Picton Junction is situated nearby to the suburb Glen Iris and the locality Riverlea.

1. Mount Barker and Denmark Record (Albany, WA) Thursday 30 November 1933 Page 1 PLANE CRASH: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/240391827
2. https://bunburyheritagewalk.com.au/gravesites/29-teede-colin-hordern-1911-1933/
3. [photo of crew]: Western Mail (Perth, WA) Thursday 7 December 1933 Page 24 AEROPLANE CRASH VICTIMS: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/38016147
4. https://airwaysmuseum.com/DH60%20VH-UGO.htm
https://www.ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/dh60.pdf
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p004.html
6. As G-AUGO: https://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/page-australian-register/g-au?highlight=WyJ2aC11Z28iXQ==
7. As VH-UGO: https://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/page-australian-register/vh-ua-um?highlight=WyJ2aC11Z28iXQ==
8. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_VH-U.html
9. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/archive/Archive_1980.pdf
10. https://mapcarta.com/16472534

c/no. 424 DH.60X Moth [Cirrus II] ordered by Norman Brearley\'s West Australian Airways (WAA) for their Perth Flying School to replace an earlier Moth, G-AUFI, which had crashed on 18 July 1927.

The aircraft was shipped to Australia and erected in Major Hereward De Havilland\'s workshop in Whiteman Street, Melbourne. It was towed through the streets to Essendon for trial flights, one of 18 Moths erected this way in 1927.

In September 1927 WAA submitted an application for registration. The CAB allocated the marks G-AUGK, but WAA requested an alternative to avoid possible confusion with their Moth G-AUFK. On 13 September the aircraft was therefore registered as G-AUGO. A Certificate of Airworthiness was issued for G-AUGO on 7 December.

G-AUGO was subsequently used for pilot training, based at Perth/Maylands. On 25 May 1928 it flew experimental night operations at Maylands to test lighting for the planned WAA Perth-Adelaide service. The pilots were Norman and Stanley Brearley, and the lighting comprised floodlights on the ground and headlights on the aircraft.

In line with the general change-over of registration markings G-AUGO was required to be changed to VH-UGO, the change to be completed by 31 August 1930.

By early 1930 the Australian Aero Club (WA Section) was ready to take over training operations on its own behalf. The remaining two WAA Moths (VH-UFK & VH-UGO) were sold to the Civil Aviation Board for immediate re-issue on loan to the Club, which commenced operations in March.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
29-Mar-2024 10:30	Dr. John Smith	Added