ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 300381
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| Date: | Monday 15 February 1943 |
| Time: | overnight |
| Type: | de Havilland DH.84 Dragon Mk II |
| Owner/operator: | 34 Sqn RAAF |
| Registration: | A34-11 |
| MSN: | 6104 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Oddnadatta Airport, Oodnadatta, SA -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Standing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Oddnadatta Airport, Oodnadatta, SA (OOD/YOOD) |
| Alice Springs Airport, Alice Springs, SA (ASP/YBAS) |
early 1936: Built Hatfield as production DH.84 Dragon II with c/no 6104. British C of A not issued.Shipped from England in 3.36.
8.4.36: Test flown at Salamaua after assembly. Captain R.O. Mant pilot
17.4.36: Civil Aviation Branch allocated registration VH-UTX to W.R.Carpenter for a DH.84
17.4.36: Registered VH-UTX W. R. Carpenter & Co, Salamaua, New Guinea. Named 'Hope' and C of A issued same day.
6.10.36: Change of owner name: Mandated Airlines Ltd, Wau, New Guinea (subsidiary company of W.R. Carpenter & Co Ltd)
10. 5.37: C of A renewed at Salamaua
9.5.38: C of A renewed at Salamaua, test flown that day by Captain Sutcliffe
5.39: In workshop at Salamaua undergoing annual C of A inspection, due to be completed in 2 weeks.
19.7.39: C of A renewed Salamaua, fitted with 6 passenger seats. Mandated Airlines Ltd engineer M.A. Taylor. Test flown that day at Salamauna, pilot Captain Sutcliffe
18.7.40: Withdrawn from use for C of A overhaul
25.10.40: C of A renewed at Salamaua, test flown same day by E.K.Nicholl
7.2.41: Dept of Air advises Director of Civil Aviation of the need for impressment of a further 3 Dragons to offset the loss of 3 DH.86s being sent to Middle East
11.2.41: Director General of Civil Aviation replies to Department of Air that 3 Dragons of Mandated Airlines, including VH-UTX have been selected for impressment and should be delivered to ANA at Essendon, Melbourne, Victora for modification.
24.2.41: Impressment Requisition No.8197 issued for VH-UTX. Mandated Airlines Ltd advised that the aircraft is to be delivered to No.3 EFTS RAAF at Essendon, Melbourne
25.2.41: W. R. Carpenter & Co Ltd acknowledge receipt of the Impressment notification and complain about the effect on their New Guinea operations. They state that VH-UTX is now due for C of A inspection
24.3.41: Impressed by Australian Government for RAAF. Impressment Requisition No.8196.
25.3.41: Brought on RAAF charge as A34-11. Received from Mandated Airlines Ltd and issued to Ansett Airways for overhaul and mods.
7.4.41: Inspected at Essendon by Director of Civil Aviation inspector - "General condition poor", with a long defect report listing. Owner quoted as "RAAF". Mandated Airlines Ltd Chief Engineer H. Grigg was subsequently reprimanded by Director of Civil Aviation over condition of the aircraft.
9.4.41: Struck-off Civil Register
29.5.41: Ready at Ansett Airways after reapirs and overhaul. Allotted 2 Air Observers School, to go to 1 Aircraft Depot for radio installation first
3.6.41: A34-11 test flown Essendon, Melbourne after overhaul, pilot R.A. Mears of Ansett Airways.
5.6.41: Received 1 Aircraft Depot ex-3 EFTS Essendon, Melbourne, Victoria
23.6.41: Issued 2 Air Observers School ex-1 Aircraft Depot
24.1.42: Issued to Ansett Airways ex-2 Air Observers School for modifications
30.1.42: Being converted to air ambulance
12.2.42: Allotted to 34 Squadron RAAF, Essendon, Melbourne, Victoria ex-1 Aircraft Depot after mods by Anseet Airways
12.2.42: Received at 1 Aircraft Depot ex-Ansett Airways
25.2.42: Received 34 Squadron RAAF ex-1 Aircraft Depot. Call sign “VH-CSC” painted on aircraft
17.4.42: Issued to 1 EFTS ex 34 Squadron RAAF
29.4.42: Allotted Ansett Airlines, Essendon, Melbourne, Victoria ex-1 EFTS
17.7.42: Received 1 Aircraft Depot RAAF Laverton from Ansett Airlines. Allotted to 36 Squadron ex-1 Aircraft Depot
24.7.42: Issued 36 Squadron ex-1 Aircraft Depot
8.42 Directorate of Air Transport, Allied Air Forces allocated radio call sign 'VH-CSC', which was painted on the aircraft
17.11.42: Aircraft stalled when 10 feet off ground at Alice Springs, port undercarriage collapsed. Flew from Parafield to Alice Springs via Maree and Oodnadatta. Refuelled and departed for return to Parafield. Prevailing conditions compelled the aircraft to return to Alice Springs and when landing the aircraft stalled just before touchdown resulting in a heavy landing that collapsed the port undercarriage. Pilot O406606 Pilot Officer Ron Yates and crewman LAC Alvin Colley were uninjured. According to a Report in 36 Squadron News Bulletin June 1992: "Damaged at Alice Springs 16.10.42 (sic) being flown by Ron Yates with LAC Alvin Colley. Had departed Parafield and was flown via Port Pirie, Maree and Oodnadatta to Alice Springs. After departing Alice Springs they were compelled to return due to prevailing conditions and undercarriage collapsed on landing".
5.12.42: At Alice Springs, unserviceablity indefinite. Allotted 1 R&SU ex-36 Squadron RAAF for repair.
13.2.43: Issued back to 34 Squadron ex-1 R&SU
15.2.43: Destroyed at Oodnadatta, SA by 87 mph gale. Fuselage and mainplane written off with possibility of salvage of parts. E. J. Connellan of Connellan Airways. Alice Springs records in his book 'Failure of Triumph':
"One night at Katherine, two Air Force Dragons disappeared except for the lower wings, which stayed tied down while the rest of the aeroplanes were in the Katherine River a mile away. Another night at Oodnadatta two Air Force Dragons were completely blown away and disappeared." (Note: the reported second DH.84 Dragon claimed wrecked at Oodnadatta not traced). Oodnadatta is a small, remote outback town and locality in the Australian state of South Australia, located 1,043 kilometres north-north-west of the state capital of Adelaide by road or 873 km direct, at an altitude of 112 metres
26.3.43: Approval for write off and Struck Off Charge
Sources:
1. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH84.pdf
2. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p061.html
3. https://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/dh84-pt1/dh84-dragon-pt1.htm
4. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a34.htm
5. http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austu/VH-USA.html
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oodnadatta_Airport
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 01-Nov-2022 03:32 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 01-Nov-2022 03:36 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 01-Nov-2022 03:37 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Narrative] |
| 02-Nov-2022 10:14 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
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