ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 58417
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Friday 1 September 1967 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Dassault Mirage III |
| Owner/operator: | 76 Sqn RAAF |
| Registration: | A3-43 |
| MSN: | 43 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | RAAF Williamtown, NSW -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAAF Williamtown, NSW (YWLM) |
| RAAF Williamtown, NSW | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Crashed 01/09/67, Williamtown NSW. During low level aerobactic display practice while the pilot was practicing for Air Force Week. The aircraft crashed into the ground and hit the bitumen road that runs along the base and ended up several hundred metres inside the Hunter District Water Board land. Pilot, Flying Officer A.Karpys, killed.
Comment by John McNair:
"The Aircraft was in level flight at the time and probably experienced "Roll Coupling".
I arrived at Williamtown 2OCU not that long after this incident and the story goes that there was some discussion the night before between several Pilots about how many barrel rolls could be attained in a Mirage before roll coupling became untenable. Apparently the aircraft was at say no 3 when it became so unstable it plummeted into the road upside down. Seems to be Pilot error based on a bet. Other stuff told to me was not much left of the Pilot, and it was very close to married quarters. Plane was level but in an axial rotation ( barrel roll) manoeuver. John McNair"
Addition comment by Peter Newman.
I was a 12 year old son of an Air Force officer ling at MQ296 on RAAF base Williamtown at the time of this crash. This Aircraft was practising aerobatic manoeuvres above the base on that day. Being a child totally fascinated with jet aircraft at this time, is was very exciting to see this aircraft at such a low altitude over the base. I distinctly remember the aircraft doing a barrel roll and passing extremely low over our house. My mother recalled the look of excitement on my young face as this happened and I had no idea of the seriousness of what was happening. The Mirage looked huge as it passed over our house and I ran around the front of our house and saw a massive fireball and explosion as it crashed into the Medowie Rd which bordered the Eastern side of the base. The pilot was killed instantly and the aircraft totally destroyed. Over the days that followed my friend and I, Jim Roddy explored the crash site (totally unauthorised) and saw the devastation that was the crash site. i recall that day as it is permanently etched into my memory. I am now 67 years of age in 2022
RC - I was told by another mirage pilot that was ascending a ladder into another mirage on the flight line at the time that the aircraft passed so low over the flight line that he almost fell from the ladder.
Sources:
1. http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/.au/3a3.shtml
2. http://web.archive.org/web/20170729001604/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk:80/Country-By-Country/Australia.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Jan-2009 11:55 | ASN archive | Added |
| 04-May-2013 11:02 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 31-Mar-2014 23:59 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 27-Sep-2016 18:04 | Anon. | Updated [Location, Departure airport] |
| 11-Apr-2017 14:04 | Neville seckold | Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
| 29-May-2018 15:09 | Razor | Updated [Operator] |
| 29-May-2018 15:09 | harro | Updated [Operator] |
| 09-Oct-2018 17:26 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 24-Oct-2020 06:40 | John McNair | Updated [Narrative] |
| 24-Oct-2020 06:42 | harro | Updated [Narrative] |
| 09-Jun-2021 14:03 | Anon. | Updated [Operator] |
| 13-Nov-2022 07:46 | Pedro147 | Updated [Destination airport, Narrative, Category] |
| 30-Apr-2023 12:43 | Anon. | Updated [[Destination airport, Narrative, Category]] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation