ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 280162
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| Date: | Thursday 27 July 1950 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | British Aircraft Eagle II |
| Owner/operator: | East West Airlines Ltd |
| Registration: | VH-UTG |
| MSN: | 113 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 10 miles South of Moree, NSW -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Tamworth Airport, Tamworth, NSW |
1934: Built by British Klemm Aeroplane Co Ltd at Hanworth Air Park, Feltham, Middlesex c/no.113. Production B.K.1 Eagle Series 2. However, A.J. Jackson's authortative book series 'British Civil Aircraft Since 1919' states that VH-UTI and VH-UTG were completed as B.A. Eagle IIs during the re-organisation of British Klemm Aeroplane Co into British Aircraft Manufacturing Co and launch of the deluxe BA Eagle 2. On the otherhand, all British and Australian official documentation at the time both were imported identifies them as B.K.1 Eagle IIs built by British Klemm Aeroplane Co Ltd
28.2.35: British C of A issued to VH-UTG of Adastra Airways Ltd, Mascot Aerodrome, Sydney, NSW. Aircraft Shipped to Australia March 1935.
20.4.35: Test flight at Mascot, Sydney, NSW after assembly by Adastra Airways, pilot Adastra Managing Director Frank Follett
24.4.35: Registered as VH-UTG to Adastra Airways Ltd, Mascot Aerodrome, Sydney, NSW. Fitted at Mascot with an Eagle camera and equipment for vertical photography for aerial survey contracts
10.07.35: Conducting a large scale aerial mapping contract of northern and western South Australia for the SA State Government
13.07.35: Damaged when undercarriage collapsed landing at Oodnadatta SA. Pilot R. T. Cropley and the camera operator were unhurt
07.10.35: Damaged when rolled into a drain during landing Beltana SA. Pilot Norman A Adam and two passengers were unhurt
May 1936: Adastra were negotiating the sale of VH-UTG and had ordered a replacement Eagle VH-UUY, assembled at Mascot in April 1936. The camera gear and fittings from VH-UTG were installed in VH-UUY
16.05.36: Change of ownership: Robert Trevor Vincent, Geelong Victoria, later Broadford, Victoria. Vincent also owned Klemm L-25 VH-USH, which he had used for his business, but had been retired from use the previous year
19.05.36: Flown Mascot-Geelong on delivery flight by Robert Trevor Vincent. Based Belmont Common airfield Geelong. Often flown by Charlie Pratt of Pratt Flying School, Geelong and the flying school staff pilot Perce Colman.
16.12.36: Departed Brisbane as an entrant in the 3 day South Australian Centenary Air Race from Brisbane to Adelaide. Entered by Robert Trevor Vincent with nominated pilot Charles D. Pratt. Race number 35
18.12.36: R.T. Vincent and C. Pratt completed the Air Race at Parafield, total flying time 6 hrs 35 mins
12.07.38: C of A renewal overhaul at Essendon. Melbourne, Victoria by Victorian & Interstate Airways. By 1939, Robert Trevor Vincent had enlisted in the RAAF and was a flying instructor at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria.
29.11.39: Flying Officer Robert Trevor Vincent and his pupil were killed when DH.60 Moth A7-62 crashed after takeoff at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria. Vincent's funeral with full air force honours was held on 22.12.39 at Highton Cemetry, Geelong. Klemm Eagle VH-UTG circled above, flown by Perce Coleman.
30.06.40: Estate of the late Robert Trevor Vincent wish to sell the aircraft. VIA at Essendon, Melbourne, Victoria acting as sale agents.
25.7.40: Change of ownership: Aircrafts Pty Ltd, Archerfield Airport, Brisbane Queensland. Aircrafts Pty Ltd used the Eagle to maintain scheduled air services after the loss of other Arcrafts Pty Ltd aircraft which were impressed by the Government for RAAF earlier that year. The Eagle was sold in 1944 after the Director of Civil Aviation arranged for RAAF to release two DH.84 Dragons to Aircrafts Pty Ltd
06.05.44: Change of ownership: Queensland Flying Training School, Archerfield, Brisbane, Queensland (a partnership between H.J.Hughes and H.F.Bremerman)
16.03.46: Change of name: Queensland Flying Services, Archerfield, Brisbane Queensland (same partnership)
04.07.47: Change of ownership: Allan C. Cameron & Derek Scott, trading as Camsco, Tenterfield, NSW. The partners operated a charter business with Tiger Moth VH-BCI and Butler BAT VH-ARG
17.10.47: Minor damage due undercarriage collapse at Toowoomba Queensland
29.11.47: Damaged, port undercarriage collapsed while taxiing at Tamworth, NSW. Not repaired, stored damaged in hangar at Tamworth aerodrome, NSW
1948: Directors of East-West Airlines had decided to diversify the company's airline activities by commencing crop dusting operations with Tiger Moths during 1947. In late 1948 the Board accepted an offer from Camsco to sell East-West Airlines their three aircraft:
- Tiger Moth VH-BCI airworthy
- Butler BAT VH-ARG dismantled for overhaul
- Klemm Eagle damaged, stored at Tamworth.
The Tiger Moth joined the East-West Airlines agricultural fleet and it was envisaged that the Eagle would be used for charter work in the Tamworth region, particularly carrying stock buyers and rural agents.
30.11.48: Change of ownership: East-West Airlines Ltd, Tamworth, NSW. The Eagle was repaired by East-West Airlines Chief Engineer Ted Walsh and his staff on a spare-time basis, priority given to maintaining the airline's Avro Anson and Lockheed Hudson fleet
09.06.50: C of A renewed at Tamworth, NSW
14.07.50: Local test flight at Tamworth, NSW, pilot Archie Smith, East-West Airlines Chief Pilot
15.07.50: Local flying Tamworth by Archie Smith, endorsing First Officer Jim Packer on the Eagle
17.07.50: First East-West Airlines charter flown by Archie Smith, Maules Creek-Tamworth with two passengers
28.07.50: Crashed during forced landing in trees 10 miles south of Moree, NSW. Propeller broke away in flight due to the propeller shaft fracturing at the forward end of the crankcase.The aircraft's wings were torn away during forced landing in trees surrounded by flood waters
East-West Airlines Chief Pilot Archie Smith was flying the Eagle on flood relief at Moree, NSW. He was operating from a road near the town carrying supplies and food to drop to properties isolated by flood waters. Captain Smith later wrote in his book 'East West Eagles':
"I had just levelled off when there was a wrenching snap and the propeller flew off and curved away to my left like a huge boomerang. I immediately cut the switches to stop the racing engine, turned off the fuel, pushed the nose down to maintain airspeed and turned north to what I hoped was shallower water. I called out to Kyrle Grace (a local farmer who was observer/dropper) to throw out the remaining food parcels - they were stacked behind us and likely to crush us with the impact of a forced landing. I flew the Eagle with my right hand while holding the cockpit door open with my left and Kyrle got rid of the parcels mighty fast! I was holding an airspeed of 75 miles per hour as I held off a few feet above the floodwaters and aimed between two trees. We smacked into the two trees simultaneously with both wings"
Both men sustained minor injuries when their seat harnesses were torn away from their anchors. The trees sheared off the outer wings on each side but the cabin was intact. They stayed in the cabin overnight with water just below seat level and next morning built a signal fire. They were located by a searching EWA Anson and were eventually rescued by Army Ducks (DUKW Amphibious vehicles) from Moree.
10.11.50: East West Airlines advise the Director of Civil Avaition that VH-UTG will not be rebuilt.
27.11.50: Struck-off Register
Sources:
1. https://www.ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/BK_BAMco.pdf
2. https://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/ba-eagle/baeagle.html
3. http://aeropedia.com.au/content/ba-eagle/
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_VH-U1.html
5. https://www.adastra.adastron.com/company/chron-30.htm
6. http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austu/VH-UTG.html
7. https://www.adastra.adastron.com/aircraft/misc/h1vh-utg.htm [photo]
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moree,_New_South_Wales#20th_century
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 08-Jul-2022 11:33 | Ron Averes | Added |
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