Outlook AHSA Newsletter December 2024

DerekB30/12/202431/12/2024

The December 2024 edition of Outlook / AHSA News was distributed to members recently.

This edition can be read online in the viewer below.

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1937 Stinson Model A VH-UGG "Lismore" operated by Airlines of Australia crashed at Archerfield, QLD on 28 March 1937. The aircraft was departing on a flight to Townsville and the lone pilot (Stewart "Ginger" Cameron) was accompanied by one passenger, Ernest Cheung, a merchant from Cairns. Newspaper reports mentioned "Shortly after takeoff from Archerfield Airport it appears that the pilot was circling at low altitude in order to see the ground and fix a starting point from which he could shoot off for Rockhampton on a compass course. The airliner struck trees, the highest of which was about 50 feet, crashed and immediately burst into flames, killing the pilot and his passenger. Fog shrouded Archerfield aerodrome when the 'plane took off at 6.30 a.m. Such fogs normally lift shortly after sunrise. No cause could be assigned to the second airliner disaster by the managing director or the chief pilot of Airlines of Australia on their return from Brisbane today. 'So far we are completely baffled, said Mr. O.A. Robinson, Managing Director. Captain Keith Virtue, Chief Pilot, said that when the Stinson took off visibility was about 300 yards. Mr. Robinson said that there was no question of the 'plane being overloaded with newspapers which it was carrying to Townsvllle. 'It had under the normal load aboard' he added. The aircraft was in perfect order, according to Mr. Robinson and Captin Virtue. From his examination of the wreck, the Chief Pilot added it would appear that the retractable undercarriage had not been raised. It is unlikely that Cameron had either the raising of the undercarriage, which is operated electrically by pressing a switch, or manipulation of the radio to distract him." It is now believed that the accident was caused by the newly-introduced gyroscopic instruments in the aircraft not being given enough time to stabilise before take-off. Later, with the arrival of more technical information, it was discovered that the instruments should be allowed four minutes to attain their proper operating speed, otherwise the artificial horizon could turn upside-down. Sources: aviation-safety.net website; Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives; The Newcastle Sun, Mon 29 Mar 1937, Page 7, "ARCHERFIELD DISASTER"

1943 SQNLDR Keith "Bluey" Truscott DFC & Bar of 76 Squadron RAAF was killed on 28 March 1943 when his Kittyhawk A29-150, hit the sea while passing below a Catalina while on escort duty. Truscott and Flying Officer Ian Louden were escorting a Catalina flying boat which was returning from a long range mission. Through sheer boredom, the two Kittyhawk pilots had decided to practice combat attacks on the Catalina. The Catalina had started an unnoticed slow descent towards the glassy waters of Exmouth Gulf. Truscott made his final "attack" on the Catalina and rolled and passed under the Catalina. The glassy waters possibly caused him to misjudge the Catalina's closeness to the water and at 1735 hours on 28 March 1943, his Kittyhawk slammed into the sea. He was killed in the crash. Source: Ozatwar

2007 The Airports Amendment Bill 2006 was passed on 28 March 2007, to alter the regulatory regime for land use planning, protection of the environment and control of on-airport building activity provided for by the Airports Act 1996. It proposed to exclude Canberra Airport from the operation of the National Capital Plan. Source: Senate, Debates, 28 March 2007, p. 41. via aph.gov.au website

2010 Piper PA-30-160 Twin Comanche B VH-KDS crashed at Near Sawyers Valley, 40km east of Perth, WA on 28 March 2010. At 0826 Western Standard Time the aircraft departed Jandakot Airport, Western Australia for a private flight under the visual flight rules (VFR). On board were two qualified pilots, both of whom were endorsed on the aircraft type. No details of the flight were submitted to Air Traffic Services nor left with any other person. At 1815, following the failure of the aircraft to return to Jandakot, the Australian Rescue Coordination Centre was notified and a search was initiated to locate the aircraft. Following examination of radar data, the aircraft was located the following morning by the crew of a search and rescue helicopter. Upon landing, the helicopter crew established that the two occupants had sustained fatal injuries. Analysis of data recorded by onboard Global Positioning System equipment identified that while maintaining about 3,500 ft above mean sea level, the speed of the aircraft steadily decreased followed by a steep descent that continued to ground level. Examination of the aircraft identified that the propeller of the left engine was feathered prior to impact; however, no evidence of a defect or other circumstance that would have necessitated feathering of the propeller was identified. The investigation identified that the circumstances of the accident were consistent with a loss of control due to sufficient airspeed not being maintained. Source: ATSB

2021 The Civil Aviation Safety Authority lifted the temporary suspension on Boeing 737 MAX aircraft operating to or from Australia on 28 March 2021. While no Australian airlines operated the Boeing 737 MAX at the time, two foreign airlines flew these aircraft types to Australia before the COVID-19 pandemic – Singapore-based SilkAir (now Singapore Airlines) and Fiji Airways. Both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had recently issued return to service airworthiness directives for the Boeing 737 MAX. CASA’s Acting CEO and Director of Aviation Safety, Graeme Crawford said the initial suspension had been in the best interests of aviation safety. “CASA was one of the first civil aviation regulators in the world to suspend Boeing 737 MAX operations. We took early action based on the information we had to ensure our skies remained safe while the cause of the accidents was investigated,” Mr Crawford said. “We have accepted the comprehensive return-to-service requirements specified by the FAA as State of Design for the 737 MAX and are confident that the aircraft are safe. Source: CASA