Date:	Saturday 12 June 1937
Time:	17:30 LT
Type:	de Havilland DH.60X Moth
Owner/operator:	John W Fraser (pilot)
Registration:	VH-UUK
MSN:	18
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Cairns Inlet, Trinity Bay, Cairns, Queensland -   Australia
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	Trinity Bay, Cairns, Queensland
Destination airport:	Trinity Bay, Cairns, Queensland

Narrative:
The float-equipped DH.60 was destroyed by fire Trinity Bay, Cairns, Queensland when caught fire in flight and made an emergency forced landing. Although blinded by thick billowing smoke, the pilot John W Fraser made a forced landing in a mangrove swamp on the bank of Cairns Inlet, near No.6 Wharf. Fraser jumped into the water to escape the burning aircraft which was burnt out.

1. Warwick Daily News (Warwick Qld.) Monday 14 June 1937 Page 5 Burning Plane Safely Grounded by Pilot: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/177351301
2. The Central Queensland Herald (Rockhampton, Qld.) Thursday 17 June 1937 Page 21 PLANE CATCHES FIRE IN MID-AIR: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/70639529
3. https://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/genairco/genairco.html
4. https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/down-clouds-early-aviation-queensland-prior-world-war-two
5. https://www.ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/dh60.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_VH-U1.html
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_Bay_(Queensland)

c/no. 18 Genairco-built DH.60 Moth [Cirrus Hermes I] first registered as VH-UOJ [C of R 388] 14.7.30 to General Aircraft Co Ltd, Mascot, Sydney, NSW ("Genairco"). No buyers came forward, so the registration VH-UOJ cancelled 13.7.31. In December 1931, Genairco commenced work on modifying the unsold VH-UOJ to install an enclosed forward cabin with three passenger seats. Completed in June 1932 as the prototype Genairco Cabin model. First test flight Mascot as a Genairco Cabin 30.6.32

During July 1932, flight tests for CAB certification were flown by C. Arthur Butler with T.D.J. Leech as observer First Test flown Sydney fitted with floats 2.11.32. Civil Aeronautics Board issued a Provisional C of A for operation outside Australia 7.11.32

To Fiji 2. 2.33 when shipped from Sydney as cargo on board RMS 'Aorangi' bound for Suva, Fiji. They were accompanied by J. G. Beohm of General Aircraft Co who had joined Fiji Airways Ltd as their ground engineer.

VH-UOJ was painted as such, despite not having a current Certificate of Registration and re-registered VQ-FAD 23.3.33 to Fiji Airways Ltd, Suva, Fiji. Rebuilt as 4-seater Cabin floatplane later in 1933.

Passenger services between Fijian islands commenced on 18.3.33 with the inaugural Suva-Ellington-Lautoka weekly service. Three days later the inaugural Suva-Levuka-Lambasa weekly service was flown. Disaster struck two months later when DH.60 Moth VQ-FAC sank in Suva harbour while conducting a test flight for the Administration. It was badly damaged during salvage. After that the Genairco Cabin Moth VQ-FAD maintained all services on a revised round service Suva-Ellington-Lautoka-Makogi-Nabouwalu-Suva, flown by George Fenton. The wooden floats were found to be inadequate, so after the standby aircraft Simmons Spartan VQ-FAA had an accident on 22.5.33, its Fairchild metal floats and 115hp engine (type not quoted) were installed in Genairco VQ-FAD in Fiji

Blaming lack of local Government interest and poor patronage, the company only lasted a year, ceasing services in February 1934 and officially closing on 3.3.34. [Although the registration VQ-FAD was only belatedly cancelled 5.10.49, fifteen years later]. Shipped to Mascot, Sydney, NSW arriving 8.4.34. Re-registered in Australia as VH-UUK 24.10.35 to W. J. and J. M. Buckingham, Mascot Aerodrome, Sydney, NSW. Sold on 20.12.35 to F. W. Barratt Wood, Melbourne, Victoria. Re-registered to C A Collins, Seymour Victoria 17.3.37. Continued joyriding in Melbourne area as a floatplane, flown by Jack "Tarzan" Fraser. Between October 1935 and February 1937, VH-UUK was converted to a seaplane and back to a landplane four times:

25.10.35: Converted from Seaplane to landplane
20.12.35: Converted back to seaplane at Mascot, Sydney, NSW at new owner's request
10.02.36: Civil Aeronautics Board suspended the C of A of the aircraft based on reports that the floats axle booms were seriously under strength
11.02.36: Converted back to landing plane (floats removed)
26.02.37: Floats installed again, with modified booms, at Port Melbourne Vic. Returned to joyriding as a floatplane

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Feb-2024 17:59	Dr. John Smith	Added
07-Feb-2024 18:01	ASN	Updated [Total occupants, Narrative]