ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 301037
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| Date: | Sunday 10 May 1953 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | de Havilland DH.84 Dragon Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | Royal Newcastle Aero Club |
| Registration: | VH-AOL |
| MSN: | 2084 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Orange Mental Hospital, Forest Road, Bloomfield, Orange, NSW -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Orange Regional Airport (IOAG/YORG) |
| Newcastle Airport, Newcastle, NSW (NTL/TWLM) |
30.04.43: Manufactured by De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd, Mascot Airport, Sydney NSW as part of an RAAF order for 87 aircraft.
21.05.43: 1st Flight at Mascot, Sydney, NSW.
11.06.43: Received by No 2 Aircraft Park (2AP) at Bankstown Airport, Sydney, NSW and bought on charge as A34-95.
14.07.43: DH.84 Technical Order 22 incorporated – Strengthening of cockpit floor.
16.09.43: Allocated to No 33 (T) Squadron, RAAF at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
29.09.43: Allocation suspended until Order 22 incorporated.
30.10.43: Allocation to 33 (T) Squadron RAAF cancelled.
14.01.44 Allocated to No 1 communications Unit (1 CU) at Essendon Airport, Melbourne, Victoria, for bush fire patrol duties.
16.01.44: Received by No 1 communications Unit (1 CU) at Essendon Airport, Melbourne, Victoria
29.03.44: Allocated to 9 Communications Unit (9 CU) at Port Moresby Papua New Guinea.
11.04.44: Aircraft to be camouflaged in accordance with AG1 Part3 Section C Instruction 1 Issue 2. Work to be completed before issue to 9 CU.
23.09.44: Received by 9 CU at Port Morseby, Papua New Guinea after camouflage paintwork completed
01.06.44: Issued to No 11 Repair & Salvage Unit at Nadzab Airfield for repairs.
31.07.44: Allocated to 9 CU. Allocation suspended until repairs finalized.
08.08.44: Allocated to No 5 Aircraft Depot (5AD) at RAAF Base Wagga Wagga, NSW, for storage.
19.08.44: Received by 9 CU at Port Morseby, Papua New Guinea.
21.08.44: Allocated to 10 R&SU at Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea for repairs. Engines require complete overhaul.
23.08.44: Received by 10 R&SU at Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
02.11.44: Aircraft now serviceable. Awaiting ferry crew.
26.11.44: Aircraft received by No 5 Aircraft Depot (5AD) at RAAF Base Wagga Wagga, NSW, for storage.
19.09.45: Survey report to Commonwealth Disposal Commission (CDC) recommended disposal.
20.12.45: Sold by CDC to Newcastle Aero Club, Broadmeadow, NSW, for £80 pounds. RAAF Markings to be removed before issue. CDC Sales Advice No G (Vic) 165 dated 14 December 1945 refers.
09.04.46: Issued to purchaser.
15.05.47: Registration application submitted by the Newcastle Aero Club, Broadmeadow, NSW.
03.07.47: Registered as VH-AOL.
10.05.53: Immediately after take-off from Orange airport NSW the aircraft stalled and crashed into the grounds of Orange Mental Hospital, Forest Road, Bloomfield, Orange, NSW. Pilot James Hazelhurst and four passengers escaped uninjured but the aircraft was destroyed by fire. The previous day (May 9th) the aircraft had been conducting joyrides at an air pageant at Orange, NSW.
According to a contemporary local newspaper report ("Townsville Daily Bulletin" Townsville, Queensland, Monday 11 May 1953 Page 1):
"PLANES CRASH IN COUNTRY CENTRES
SYDNEY, May 10.
A twin-engined Dragon Rapide aircraft and a Tiger Moth bi-plane, carrying a total of seven men, crashed from low levels while taking off from two country aerodromes to-day. The Dragon Rapide burst Into flames and was destroyed, while the other aircraft was badly damaged.
Five men raced away from the flames after the Dragon Rapide crashed at Orange and escaped Injury. A police man was Injured in the other crash, which was at Wollongong.
Detective Donald Dennett of Cook was piloting the Tiger Moth at Wollongong, with Max Longhurst of Wollongong, as a passenger, when the aircraft failed to clear overhead wires along the Wollongong-Port Kemble Road, adjacent to the aerodrome. The plane dived to the ground, and a portion of it came to rest in Tom Thumb Lagoon It was practically destroyed. Dennett was taken to the Wollongong District Hospital with injuries to the head and body. His condition Is satisfactory. Longhurst escaped with a shaking.
The Dragon Rapide, owned by the Newcastle Aero Club, was taking off from the Orange aerodrome to return to Newcastle, and had five men aboard when it appeared to stall when only about 20 feet off the ground.
The pilot. J. Hazelton of Newcastle Aero Club, who is stationed at Orange, turned It and brought It down In a corner of the Orange Mental Hospital grounds nearby.
The plane spun round on landing, and almost at once, one engine caught fire. The petrol tank then exploded, and the aircraft burst Into flames from end to end, and was destroyed. Hazelton and the four others raced clear of the burning plane, and were not injured."
01.07.53: Struck-off the register.
Sources:
1. "Townsville Daily Bulletin" Townsville, Queensland, Monday 11 May 1953 Page 1
2. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH84.pdf
3. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pAus01.html
4. https://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/dh84-pt2/dh84-dragon-pt2.htm
5. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a34.htm
6. https://www.airhistory.net/photo/408693/VH-AOL [VH-AOL at Broadmeadow, NSW in 1949-51]
7. https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2018/10/25/jeffrey-allen-burns/
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomfield_Hospital,_Orange
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange,_New_South_Wales
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Airport
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Nov-2022 15:50 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
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