ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 300580
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| Date: | Sunday 5 September 1948 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | de Havilland DH.84 Dragon Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | Taylors Air Transport Ltd., Lae PNG c/o M. A. Taylor |
| Registration: | VH-AFK |
| MSN: | 2024 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 10 miles S of Bena Bena, Eastern Highlands -
 Papua New Guinea
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Lae, Lae, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea (LAE/AYNZ) |
02.12.42: Manufactured by De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd, Mascot Airport, Sydney NSW, as part of an order for 87 aircraft.
17.12.42: Received by No 2 Aircraft Park (2 AP) at Bankstown Airport, Sydney, NSW and bought on charge as A34-35
17.12.42: Allocated for temporary duty with No 1 Communications Unit (1 CU) at RAAF Laverton, Victoria.
20.12.42: Received by 1 Communications Unit (1 CU) at RAAF Laverton, Victoria.
25.01.43: Temporary duty with 1 Communications Unit (1 CU) at RAAF Laverton, Victoria. extended until 03.02.43.
30.06.43: Allocated to No 6 Communications Unit (6 CU) at Batchelor Field, NT.
05.07.43: Issued to No 1 Aircraft Depot (1 AD) RAAF Laverton, Victoria for servicing prior to issue to 6 Communications Unit.
16.07.43: Aircraft to depart RAAF Laverton, Victoria with equipment awaiting air freight.
02.08.43: Received by 6 Communications Unit (6 CU) at Batchelor Field, NT..
14.12.43: Heavy landing at Port Keats, NT caused severe damage to undercarriage, wings and engines.
01.06.44: Allocated to De Havilland Aircraft at Mascot Airport, Sydney, NSW for inspection and reporting.
04.08.44: Received by De Havilland Aircraft at Mascot Airport, Sydney, NSW
11.05.44: Received by No 2 Aircraft Depot (2 AD) RAAF Richmond, NSW.
09.11.44: Allocated to No 5 Aircraft Depot (5 AD) at RAAF Forest Hills, NSW for storage.
14.05.45: Received by 5 AD and stored at Care & Maintenance detachment, RAAF Station Cootamundra, NSW.
19.09.45: Survey report recommended disposal by Commonwealth Disposal Commission (CDC).
25.09.45: Aircraft ‘frozen’ (grounded) until disposal action taken.
08.10.45: Sold for £750 to Bridgewater Amplivox Sound System, Sydney.
22.11.45: Issued to purchaser.
05.12.45: Registration application from Shark Patrol Service Co, Sydney, NSW.
18.12.45: Modified to carry four loud speakers. Test flown at Mascot, Sydney
07.02.46: Registered as VH-AFK. Fitted with three passenger seats and jettisonable loudspeakers.
02.02.46: Fuel pumps modified [mandatory C of A modification].
04.02.47: Sold to New England Aerial Ambulance and Freight Service, Sydney, NSW.
01.06.47: Sold to Taylors Air Transport Ltd., Lae, Papua New Guinea c/o M. A. Taylor.
08.06.47: VH-AFK & VH-AHY departed Sydney on delivery flight to Lae, Papau New Guinea for Mr Taylor to commence his charter business. Pilot Ralph Elphinstone remembers: "There we were in the two Dragons. Joe Taylor and myself in one, Ross Kerrick in the other, two mechanics, and a traffic clerk, all our spares, suitcases, everything to run an airline. Just arrived up in Lae unannounced one day and started flying the next."
06.09.48: A port engine failure resulted in a crash 10 miles south of Bena Bena, Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea. Aircraft completely wrecked but no injuries. Milton "Joe" Taylor recalls: "VH-AFK was wrecked in a forced landing 10 miles south of Bena Bena. Pilot Johnny Keene lost an engine and, instead of carrying on, decided to land in the long kunai grass. We pulled the wreckage to pieces and brought it back to Lae in a DC-3 but the aircraft was not rebuilt."
Benabena is a stretch of valley that extends to the east of Goroka town in the west and borders with the Upper Ramu area of the Madang Province to the north, the Ungaii District to its south and the Henganofi District to its east. The name "Bena Bena' derived from a small hamlet or village just a few kilometres away from the once small rural station of Sigerehi in the Upper Bena area in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea.
04.05.51: Memo from Director of Civil Aviation, Port Moresby: "Taylors Air Transport no longer in existence. Assets of the company were taken over by Guinea Air Traders Ltd who also have since liquidated. The assets included the remains of VH-AFK and is now in no condition to be overhauled for further service"
15.05.51: Struck-off Register as "damaged beyond repair"
Sources:
1. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH84.pdf
2. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pAus01.html
3. https://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/dh84-pt2/dh84-dragon-pt2.htm
4. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a34.htm
5. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/001088125.html [photo of VH-AFK at Kempsey, NSW in 1947]
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benabena,_Papua_New_Guinea
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Nov-2022 00:46 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 25-Jun-2023 09:14 | Ron Averes | Updated |
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