ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 300328
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| Date: | Monday 11 November 1940 |
| Time: | 10:00 |
| Type: | de Havilland DH-84A Dragon |
| Owner/operator: | 1 AOS RAAF |
| Registration: | A34-2 |
| MSN: | 6088 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 2 miles SW of Cootamundra, NSW -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAAF Cootamundra, NSW |
25.5.34: De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd write to Civil Aeronautics Board requesting Australian registrations for 2 “Dragons” on order from England. Civil Aeronautics Board allocate VH-URU & VH-URV.
1.9.34: Built Hatfield as production Dragon II. First flight at Hatfield, Hertfordshire
4.9.34: British C of A issued as VH-URU to De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd, Mascot, Sydney, NSW. Shipped to Australia Assembled at Mascot, Sydney, NSW by De Havilland Aircraft.
7.11.34: Inspection Report at Mascot. Owner stated as Butler Air Transport Co, Cootamundra, NSW c/o C. A. Butler. Test flown after assembly same day
8.11.34: Registration Application: Butler Air Transport Co, Cootamundra, NSW. To be used for “passenger and mail carrying on the Cootamundra-Charleville route”
9.11.34: Registered VH-URU. C of A issued same, fitted with 6 passenger seats. C.A.Butler pilot logbook: Mascot local flight, 40 minutes same day
20.11.34: His Excellency, acting Governor General Lord Gowrie christened the Dragons VH-URU and VH-URV 'Cootamundra' and 'Charleville'
12.34: VH-URU & VH-URV commenced scheduled mail and passenger services between Cootamundra and Charleville
2.35 High summer temperatures inland led to fuel line vapor locks and several forced landings. Company engineer Thomas Williams redesigned the DH.84 fuel system, which eliminated the problem. Arthur Butler wrote in his book Flight: "...the Dragon with full load could not maintain height on one engine. The Civil Aviation Board established two emergency landing grounds between Cootamundra and Parkes where an aerodrome had been constructed several years earlier. These were never used during the 3 years and 8 months that the Cootamundra-Charleville service operated; in fact the service was practically free from mechanical trouble during the whole of this period, except for the vapor locks at the beginning of the service.”
9.6.37: Inspection report Mascot. Inspection report at Mascot. CAB inspector’s summary: “in very good condition and maintenance over the period of service has been very satisfactory”
27.11.37: Forced landing Goolburra Station Queensland, due to carburettor problem in one engine. No damage. Pilot R. Brett cleaned the carburettor, and the northbound mails were taken to Charleville by car by the owner of the property. Aircraft was on a Mail flight, with no passengers on board.
7.12.37: Forced landing at Mangalore Victoria due to low oil pressure in port engine. No damage. Pilot P. B. Lusk. Aircraft was on a Mail flight, with no passengers on board
12.38: By now the company is reformed as Butler Air Transport Co Ltd, Mascot, Sydney, NSW
25.10.39: Forced landing Maitland, NSW, due engine failure. No damage. Pilot O. B. Hall. Aircraft was on a Mail flight, with one passenger on board
3.11.39: Total airframe time as of this date 3,221 hours
11.39: Impressed by Australian Government for RAAF. Impressment Requisition No.12514. To be delivered to Commanding Officer No.1 Flying Training School, RAAF Point Cook by 27.12.39. Price subsequently paid to BAT was £1,700.
7.1.40: Delivered to Point Cook by Arthur Butler
8.1.40: Impressment date by RAAF
11.1.40: Struck-off Civil Register. Brought on RAAF charge as A34-2 same day. Issued to No.1 FTS Observers School
26.1.40: Issued No.1 Advanced Training School (1 ATS)
30.3.40: Wind caused wingtip to strike ground while picketed, wingtip damaged. Repaired on site
24.6.40: Serviceable at Signal School
11.7.40: Issued to ANA for mods
15.7.40: Director of Civil Aviation inspection report at Ansett Airways, Essendon. Melbourne: “A34-2 ex VH-URU”. Fitted with 5 passenger seats.
15.9.40: Serviceable at Ansett Airways after overhaul
9.40: Director of Civil Aviation report: "Ansett Airways Ltd estimate that the costs for the total overhaul of this aircraft (Total Time 3,503 hours) as £1,490. Several main plane spars were replaced. It had been operated by RAAF since January. Formerly VH-URU".
4.10.40: Allotted Air Observers School after W/T (Wireless Telegraphy) modifications at 1 Aircraft Depot
7.10.40: Received Air Observers School, RAAF Cootamundra, NSW (later renamed 1 Air Observers School)
11.11.40: Written off (damaged beyond repair) when crashed into ground and burned 2 miles South West of RAAF Cootamundra, NSW. After takeoff at 10 am the aircraft struck the ground in a flat spin from a steep climbing left turn. 1 Air Observers School.
Those killed on impact were:
(Pilot) 0676 Pilot Officer James Frederick Hearne (aged 20) single of Bathurst NSW
A24119 Leading Aircraftman John Duff Cameron (aged 26) single of Annandale Sydney NSW,
A400197 Leading Aircraftman James Clifford Stanley (aged 24) single of Stoney Creek Victoria,
A404113 Leading Aircraftman Robert Montgomery (aged 26) single of Edinburgh, Scotland
A404202 Leading Aircraftman Ernest Arthur Piercy (aged 20) single of Bundaberg, Queensland.
A402016 Leading Aircraftman John Head (aged 25) single of Scone NSW: alive when he was thrown from the aircraft on impact but with grievous injuries to the head and legs and severe burns, Leading Aircraftman John Head did not survive his injuries and died in Cootamundra Hospital at 15:45 hours.
Sources:
1. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH84.pdf
2. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p060.html
3. https://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/dh84-pt1/dh84-dragon-pt1.htm
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2244646/james-frederick-hearne/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2244066/john-duff-cameron/
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2246880/james-clifford-stanley/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2774515/robert-montgomery/
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2244928/ernest-arthur-piercy/
9. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2244923/john-head/
10. https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-144648297/view
11. http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austu/VH-URU.html
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cootamundra#Military_history
Media:
De Havilland DH.84 Dragon aeroplane VH-URU, Butler Air Transport 1935:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Oct-2022 23:40 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 30-Oct-2022 23:41 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time] |
| 31-Oct-2022 19:20 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Location, Operator] |
| 27-May-2023 10:56 | Ron Averes | Updated [[Operator, Location, Operator]] |
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