ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 74144
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| Date: | Monday 14 July 1947 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | De Havilland DH.84 Dragon |
| Owner/operator: | Qantas Empire Airways Ltd |
| Registration: | VH-BAF |
| MSN: | 2027 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | between Labu and Wau, Morobe -
 Papua New Guinea
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Lae, Papua New Guinea (LAY/AYNZ) |
| Wau, Bulolo, Morobe Province, New Guinea | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
11.42: Manufactured by De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd, Mascot Airport, Sydney NSW as part of an order for 87 aircraft
27.12.42: Received by No 2 Aircraft Park (2 AP) at Bankstown Airport, Sydney, NSW and bought on charge as A34-38.
28.12.42: Completed fitting out at 2 AP, Bankstown
30.12.42: Allocated to 34 Squadron at RAAF Station Darwin, NT.
06.01.43: Received by 34 Squadron RAAF
11.01.43: Tail wheel unit collapsed on landing at Tennant Creek, NT at 15:00 hours which caused the aircraft to swing off the runway and hit a large rock. Lower starboard wing heavily damaged. Pilot A412437 Sergeant R.H. Haxton and crewman A20229 LAC J.E. Allen were uninjured.
20.01.43: Allocated to No 1 Repair & Salvage Unit (1 R&SU) at Manbullo field, NT.
22.01.43: Received by 1 R&SU at Manbullo field, NT.
11.03.43: Allocated to 34 Squadron RAAF after repairs
28.03.43: Received by 34 Squadron RAAF. Directorate of Air Transport, Allied Air Forces allocated radio call-sign VH-CSJ, which was painted on the aircraft.
20.04.43: Issued to Australian National Airways (ANA) at Essendon Airport, Melbourne, Victoria for overhaul.
30.04.43: Received by ANA at Essendon
26.05.43: Allocated to No 3 Communications Flight (3 CF) at Mascot Airport Sydney, NSW.
14.06.43: Received by 3 Communications Flight as a replacement for DH.84 A34-19.
01.08.43: Allocated to Radio Installation & Maintenance Unit (RIMU) at Batchelor Field NT for temporary duty.
23.08.43: Received by RIMU at Batchelor Field NT
24.09.43: Temporary duty to RIMU extended until 22.11.43.
22.11.43: Received by 3 Communications Flight at Mascot, Sydney, NSW.
10.07.44: Allocated to No 14 Aircraft Repair Depot (14 ARD) at Gorrie, NT.
20.07.44: Received by 14 ARD at Gorrie, NT for 80 hourly servicing.
31.07.44: Allocated to 14 ARD at Gorrie, NT for modifications.
08.04.44: Wireless and Navigation equipment removed at 14 ARD, Gorrie, NT.
23.08.44: Allocated to No 6 Communications Flight (6 CF) at Batchelor Field, NT.
26.08.44: Received by 6 Communications Flight, Batchelor Field, NT.
09.11.44: Allocated to No 5 Aircraft Depot Store (5 AD) at RAAF Station Cootamundra, NSW
28.01.45: Received by 5 AD and stored as Category B.
19.09.45: Survey report submitted to Commonwealth Disposal Commission (CDC) for disposal.
25.09.45: Aircraft frozen (grounded) until disposed of by CDC.
15.03.46: Sold by CDC to Messrs. R. J. Knight & A. J. McCarthy, 9 Jordan Terrace Brisbane for £480.
09.04.46: Issued to R. J. Knight & A. J. McCarthy, Brisbane, Queensland.
24.04.46: Ferried from Cootamundra to Mackay by KMH Air Service.
06.12.46: Registration application: KMH Air Service, Mackay Queensland.
27.05.47: Sold to Qantas Empire Airways (QEA).
28.05.47: Registration application: Qantas Empire Airways, Lae, New Guinea. To be a freighter in Papaua New Guinea. Registered as VH-BAF same day.
14.7.47: Qantas Empire Airlines Captain Ross K. Crabbe was en-route from Lae to Wau with cases of supplies and two Australian passengers when he became trapped in a narrowing valley with low cloud base near the head of the Wampit River near Zenag, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. Unable to get out of the valley Crabb deliberately ‘pancaked’ the aircraft into the spreading top branches of a huge tree and was hurled out of the cockpit and down to a ravine 36 metres below, injuring his back. The Dragon remained wedged in the top of the tree and his calls to the passengers were unanswered
The accident report gives a good idea of the tough flying conditions to be found in New Guinea at the time. The report goes on to say that the pilot (Captain R. Crabbe) was hurled out of the cockpit, through the nose of the aircraft, and down a ravine 100 ft below injuring his back.
The Dragon remained wedged in the tree tops and his calls to the passengers went unanswered. A group of native hunters heard the crash and reported it to a nearby Government radio station.
Two medics were led to the scene and climbed the tree in the dark to administer morphine to the injured passengers and stayed with them through the night. The aircraft fabric was tearing as it moved and settled in the tree. The next day a team with a doctor arrived and the passengers were lowered to the ground in baskets.
One seriously injured passenger was flown to Sydney by QEA DC-3 for plastic surgery and for facial injuries. VH-BAF was formally Struck-Off Register on 7.11.47.
Sources:
1. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH84.pdf
2. http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austb/VH-BAF%281%29.html
3. http://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/dh84-pt2/dh84-dragon-pt2.htm
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pAus01.html
5. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a34.htm
6. https://www.pprune.org/tech-log/312924-qantas-link-717-hard-landing-darwin-6.html
7. https://baaa-acro.sindev.ch/crash/crash-de-havilland-dh84-dragon-near-zenag
8. https://geographic.org/geographic_names/name.php?uni=-3050824&fid=4852&c=papua_new_guinea
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Apr-2010 22:38 | Petro | Added |
| 31-Dec-2011 06:20 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Total occupants, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 11-Apr-2014 02:24 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Total occupants, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Nov-2022 17:45 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Total occupants, Nature, Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 07-Nov-2022 17:47 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 07-Nov-2022 17:48 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 07-Nov-2022 17:50 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn] |
| 27-Jun-2023 09:32 | Ron Averes | Updated [[Cn]] |
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