Junkers F13 – Aviation Historical Society of Australia

DerekB30/09/202319/11/2023

Aviation Heritage Vol. 54 No. 3 (September 2023) Contents Listing

The latest quarterly AHSA journal – Aviation Heritage – has recently been posted to members. The contents of all articles are listed below: Aviation...

1944 Bristol Beaufighter TF Mk X A19-203 operated by No. 31 (City of Wagga Wagga) Squadron RAAF crashed 10 miles south east of Coomalie airstrip, Northern Territory on 6 October 1944. The aircraft crashed and caught fire on the gunnery range 10 miles south east of Coomalie airstrip during rocket projectile training, caused by a rocket exploding or burning while still attached to the aircraft. The two crew members were killed: Pilot FLGOFF I.J. Ingle and navigator PLTOFF A.S. Way. Sources: ADF-Serials; aviation-safety.net website

1966 Operation CANBERRA commenced on 6 October 1966 and ran until 10 October, with six Iroquois helicopters from 9 Squadron flying mission critical resupply and dust-off sorties in Vietnam. Operation CANBERRA was a 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (5RAR), search and destroy operation intended to secure a route in the Nui Dinh Mountains north of Vung Tau in South Vietnam. During the operation, six No 9 Squadron Iroquois helicopters inserted and extracted Australian Special Air Service Regiment and 5RAR elements and provided near continuous critical resupply of ammunition, food and water to the them while they were fighting in rugged terrain where helicopters proved to be the only means of access. The Iroquois also provided vital dust-off missions (aeromedical evacuation) for the 5RAR elements. The sorties were short range missions flying into mountainous terrain unloading ammunition and supplies on to tiny landing zones just created by 5RAR elements. In two days alone, the RAAF Iroquois flew more than 400 sorties and over 2,000 mortar rounds for use by a Mortar Platoon that had an enemy force pinned down along a ridge line. Source: RAAF Association SA Division

1969 Piper PA-23-250 Aztec B VH-AVJ crashed at Wongrabry Station, Queensland on 6 October 1969. The landing strip at Wongrabry Station is 2600 feet long and is aligned in approximately an east-west direction. The station homestead is near the eastern end. The aircraft was fitted with dual controls and it is not known which pilot was controlling the aircraft. The aircraft took off into the west and made a partial circuit to the south of the airstrip, approached the strip from the east, passed over the homestead at a height estimated at between 600 and 800 feet and then flew parallel with and above the strip. At a point approximately above the western end of the strip the aircraft completed a controlled roll to the left through 360 degrees, recovered and continued westward in level flight. About 1 1/2 miles beyond the strip it zoomed sharply upward into a stall turn type manoeuvre to the left and entered into a steep 70 degree dive. As the dive progressed the speed increased to about 200 knots and the dive angle progressively decreased. When the aircraft was about 200 feet above the ground it had attained a nearly level attitude but was still descending. It passed out of sight of eye witnesses and struck a tree and then the ground. There were 2 fatalities. Sources: ATSB investigation number 196900028; aviation-safety.net website

1971 Dassault Mirage IIIOD A3-109 operated by 2 Operational Conversion UniU RAAF crashed into the ocean near RAAF Williamstown, New South Wales on 6 October 1971. The aircraft was on a local training mission. The pilot, FLGOFF K. Dale, was killed. Sources: ADF-Serials; aviation-safety.net website

2008 At 3.30 pm local time on 6 October 2008, Qantas Airbus A330–303 flight QF72 from Singapore to Perth made an emergency landing in Learmonth, WA with 303 passengers and 10 crew on board. The plane had to land because at 37,000 feet it unexpectedly pitched downwards for two periods of 20 and 16 seconds each, dropping hundreds of metres. The ATSB announced that it had identified a computer fault as the likely cause of the incident. Some 45 or so passengers were injured in the incident, 20 seriously. Qantas later agreed to compensate all of the traumatised passengers and offered them free flights. As serious injuries were incurred, this constituted an accident under the ICAO definition outlined in Annex 13 to the Chicago Convention and as defined in Australia’s Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003. Source: ATSB, ‘Qantas Airbus A330 accident Media Conference’, Media Release, 14 October 2008. Debbie Guest, Paige Taylor, ‘Qantas jet forced down with 36 injured’, The Australian, 14 October 2008, p.7. ATSB Media Release 2008/45, “ATSB Preliminary Factual Report, In-flight upset, Qantas Airbus A330, 154km west of Learmonth, WA, 7 October 2008”, 14 November 2008. via aph.gov.au website