Date:	Monday 18 April 1938
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.60G Gipsy Moth
Owner/operator:	Royal Victorian Aero Club
Registration:	VH-UPU
MSN:	545
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Ballarat Showground, Wendouree, Ballarat, VIC -   Australia
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Essendon, Melbourne, Victoria (MEB/YMEN)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
DH.60X [Cirrus II] sold to DH Australia with C of A 1362 issued 14.4.28. To RAAF as A7-4 in June 1928. Struck off charge 31.3.30 and civil registered as VH-UPU [C of R 423] 2.4.30 to Civil Aviation Branch, Dept of Defence; on 5.5.30, VH-UPU was allocated on loan to the Bendigo Aero Club as part of the CAB's support for pilot training.

Later loaned to Victorian Aero Club, Essendon, Melbourne, Victoria. In common with most Moths of that era, VH-UPU suffered at least one major accident and re-build. On 14.12.34 pilot C. Shaw hit a fence while undershooting on landing approach at Deniliquin, NSW. The undercarriage was torn off and the aircraft badly damaged. During the subsequent re-build, completed on 5.3.35, the opportunity was taken to install a Gipsy I engine, bringing VH-UPU up to DH60G standard

Re-registered 16.8.37 upon outright sale to Royal Victorian Aero Club, Essendon, Melbourne, Victoria. Whilst with the Royal Victorian Aero Club, VH-UPU suffered another forced landing on 17.3.38 at Bacchus Marsh in the hands of pilot J.W. Bennett when the full speed wheel in a magneto stripped.

VH-UPU was finally written off in 14.4.38 following an accident at Ballarat when pilot J. Wastell had the engine cut out over the city. He made a steep turn towards the showground but collided with a boundary fence. The aircraft was wrecked and water was later found in the carburettor. At the time of the accident VH-UPU had amassed a total flying time of approximately 2,800 hours. Registration VH-UPU cancelled 18.4.38 (same day).

According to a contemporary local newspaper report ("Tweed Daily" (Murwillumbah, NSW) Tuesday 19 April 1938 Page 3):

"PLANE CRASHES AT BALLARAT
Two Occupants Escape Injury
MELBOURNE, Monday
A D.H.60 Moth plane belonging to the Royal Victorian Aero Club made a forced landing at Ballarat Showground today. It crashed into a rail fence, smashing the wings and Undercarriage. Neither the pilot, John Wasted (19), of Ballarat, nor John Morshead, of Ballarat, passenger, were injured.

The plane was flying at 1400 feet over Ballarat when the engine cut out. When it began to lose height, Wastell glided for a mile and a half and landed 15 feet short of the Showground arena".

The Ballarat Showgrounds (officially Ballarat Showgrounds and Recreation Reserve) is a multi-purpose venue in Wendouree, a suburb of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, owned by the City of Ballarat, and since 1934, the home of the Ballarat Show and agricultural show

1. "Tweed Daily" (Murwillumbah, NSW) Tuesday 19 April 1938. Page 3): https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/195482145
2. "The Maitland Daily Mercury" (Maitland NSW) Tuesday 19 April 1938 Page 4:
http://www.adf-gallery.com.au//2a7.htm
3. "Daily Advertiser" (Wagga Wagga, NSW) Tuesday 19 April 1938 Page 2:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/143729913
3. http://www.airwaysmuseum.com/DH60%20VH-UPU.htm
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_VH-U1.html
5. http://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/page-australian-register/vh-un-uz?highlight=WyJ2aC11cHUiXQ==
6. http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austu/VH-UPU.html
7. http://web.archive.org/web/20161230164913/http://bendigoflyingclub.blogspot.co.uk/p/about-us.html
8. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-de-havilland-dh60g-gipsy-moth-ballarat
9. http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/dh60.pdf
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballarat_Showgrounds

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-Jan-2014 19:35	Dr. John Smith	Added
17-Jan-2014 19:37	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
29-Jul-2015 16:04	TB	Updated [Location, Embed code]
21-Aug-2017 22:22	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source]
15-Dec-2021 15:27	Anon.	Updated [Source]
09-Jun-2022 20:17	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]
04-Oct-2023 17:56	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Location]]
10-Oct-2023 13:37	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[Location]]]