ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 25653
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| Date: | Saturday 31 August 1946 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | de Havilland DH.84 Dragon |
| Owner/operator: | Mandated Airlines Ltd |
| Registration: | VH-ARI |
| MSN: | 2028 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Wewak, East Sepik -
 Papua New Guinea
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Wewak Airport, Wewak, East Sepik Province (WWK/AYWK) |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
08.12.42: Manufactured by De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd, Mascot Airport, Sydney NSW as part of an order for 87 aircraft.
24.12.42: 1st Flight at Mascot Airport, Sydney, NSW.
04.01.43: Received by No 2 Aircraft Park (2 AP) at Bankstown Airport, Sydney, NSW and bought on charge as A34-39. Directorate of Air Transport, Allied Air Forces allocated radio call-sign VH-CRO, which was painted on the aircraft.
06.01.43: Allocated to Paratroop Training Unit (PTU) at RAAF Base Laverton, Victoria.
15.01.43: Received by 1 PTU, RAAF Laverton
26.01.43: Allocated to No 7 Aircraft Depot (7 AD) at RAAF Station, Tocumwal, NSW for modifications.
29.01.43: Received by 7 AD and modifications incorporated.
09.03.43: Allocated to 1 PTU, RAAF Laverton
23.03.43: Received by 1 PTU, RAAF Laverton
25.11.43: Allocated to No 2 Communications Unit (2 CU) at RAAF Base Wagga Wagga, NSW.
29.11.43: Received by 2 CU, RAAF Wagga Wagga, NSW
13.03.44: Allocated to No 7 Service Flying Training School (7 SFTS) at RAAF Station Deniliquin, NSW.
03.04.44: Received by 7 SFTS.
15.05.44: New seating fitted.
30.08.44: Allocated to No 14 Aircraft Repair Depot (14 ARD) at Gorrie Airfield, NT.
09.09.44: Received by 14 ARD at Gorrie, NT for inspection and modifications.
11.09.44: Allocated to No 6 Communications Unit (6 CU) at Batchelor Airfield, NT.
10.10.44: Received by 6 CU, RAAF Batchelor, NT.
09.11.44: Allocated to No 5 Aircraft Depot (5 AD) at RAAF Base Wagga Wagga, NSW.
12.11.44: Allocation cancelled.
14.08.45: Allocated to Care & Maintenance Unit (CMU) at RAAF Base Evans Head, NSW.
19.09.45: Survey report requests cancellation of CMU and recommends disposal thru CDC.
11.10.45: Request denied, allocation to stand.
11.12.45: Received by CMU Evans Head, NSW
10.01.46: Aircraft frozen (grounded) until disposal action taken.
12.02.46: Sold to W.R. Carpenter Ltd of O’Connell Street, Sydney, NSW for £50 pounds. CDC Sales Advice No G (VIC) 260 dated 08.02.46.
08.04.46: Aircraft removed by purchaser from Evans Head, NSW
05.07.46: Registration application by W. R. Carpenter & Co for Mandated Airlines Ltd, Lae Papua New Guinea.
29.07.46: Registered as VH-ARI to Mandated Airlines Ltd, Lae Papua New Guinea.
31.07.46: Ferried from Sydney to Lae by Mandated Airlines Ltd Manager Arthur Collins.
30.08.46: Flown Lae-Wewak by Mandated Airlines Ltd Captain Richard Burt to make a series of charter flights from Wewak to Maprik and Angoram in the East Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea.
31.08.46: Crashed at Wewak shortly after takeoff and destroyed by fire. Mandated Airlines Ltd Captain Richard Burt minor injuries, 5 passengers unhurt. Dirk Burt is quoted in the book Balus The Aeroplane in Papua New Guinea about this accident:
"I drained both fuel tanks for water prior to take-off, but apparently there was still water in one. I had 5 passengers on board. I took off without trouble, but the instant we were off the starboard engine began misfiring, and it lost power fast. Because of the country I commenced a left turn, into the live engine, to try to reach the beach, but I couldn't make it. I put her down on a bit of a clearing in a swamp. The starboard wing bit a coconut palm and we slewed right around. I banged my head somewhere and got a cut scalp. The passengers were alright though. She burst into flames - was a write-off."
Director of Civil Aviation accident investigation by Arthur Affleck found water in fuel tanks. The daily Certificate of Safety had not been signed since Lae the previous day and had expired. Only logged 78 hours since C of A issued including ferry flight to Papua New Guinea from Sydney. Total flying time since manufacture 780 hours.
30.9.46: VH-ARI was Struck-off Register
Sources:
1. BALLUS. The Aeroplane in Papua New Guinea by James Sinclair (Published by Bathurst: Robert Brown (1986, 88, 90) First editions, 1986)
2. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH84.pdf
3. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pAus01.html
4. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a34.htm
5. http://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/dh84-pt2/dh84-dragon-pt2.htm
6. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-de-havilland-dh84-dragon-wewak
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wewak
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wewak_Airport
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2008 01:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 30-Dec-2011 14:58 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Phase, Nature, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 30-Dec-2011 20:46 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 09-Apr-2014 23:14 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 09-Apr-2014 23:16 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 07-Nov-2022 18:14 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 07-Nov-2022 18:17 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Category] |
| 25-Jun-2023 10:25 | Ron Averes | Updated [[Category]] |
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