Leon Skilling – Aviation Historical Society of Australia

DerekB03/06/202306/06/2023

Aviation Heritage Vol. 54 No. 2 (June 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...

1932 de Havilland DH.80 Puss Moth VH-UPM operated by New England Airways crashed at Myocum, near Byron Bay, NSW on 18 September 1932. While crossing the Burringbar Range at about 100 feet altitude, just below cloud, the aircraft was caught in a sudden down draught. It appeared to turn a somersault in the air. The pilot, Ralph Virtue, managed to right the aircraft, but then the left wing and rudder broke off. It dived sideways, crashing into the ground with tremendous force killing all 3 on board (pilot Ralph Virtue plus passengers Captain Les Holden and Dr George R Hamilton). Five days after this fatal in-flight structural failure, the Civil Aviation Branch grounded all Australian Puss Moths by cancelling their Certificates of Airworthiness and Certificates of Registration. There was great concern over reported wing flutter, tailplane strength and wing design strength. Investigations into the airworthiness of the type took place in Australia, the United Kingdom and by the manufacturer, concentrating on wing flutter, tailplane strength and wing structural integrity. Testing by the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, UK recommended a stabilising strut be fitted to the forward leg of the wing V struts, and this was one of many modifications adopted. In Australia the type remained grounded until the following year until mandatory modifications to strengthen the wing structure were finalised. When installed, each Puss Moth had its certification renewed individually. Sources: Joan Priest, Virtue In Flying - A biography of pioneer aviator Keith Virtue; aviation-safety.net website

1945 Douglas C-47 Dakota, A65-61 (radio callsign VH-CUT) of 38 Squadron RAAF went missing after taking off from Mokmer Airfield on Biak island in New Guinea on 18 September 1945. The aircraft took off from Wama Airfield on Moratai at 6:00 am and flew to Mokmer airfield on Biak Island, arriving at 10.30am. The Dakota then took off in clear weather at 11.15am enroute to Townsville via Horn Island. The flight was a medical evacuation flight with five air crew, two medical staff, three RAAF passengers and nineteen Australian Army hospital patients. Normal procedure for aircraft departing from Biak was to radio in 15 minutes after take-off and then again when they had reached their cruising height. A65-61 did not make its first 15 minutes radio call and disappeared along with its 29 occupants. No trace was found during searches. It was thought that it would not have reached the Australian mainland. Source: Australia at War website

2008 The statement for the report of the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport into CASA was tabled on 18 September 2008. The committee found that the CASA Regulatory Reform Program's (RRP) implementation had been deferred and delayed over past years and required conclusion as quickly as possible. With restructure, CASA had experienced a significant turn over in staff with a loss of technical expertise. The committee received a range of submissions in relation to CASA's move to become a partner with industry, rather than continuing with a more traditional regulatory approach. The report’s three recommendations related to issues of: strengthening CASA’s governance framework, conclusion of the RRP and, that the Australian National Audit Office audit CASA's implementation and administration of its Safety Management Systems approach. Sources: ‘Administration of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and related matters’. Peter Veness and Simon Jenkins, ‘Too close to airlines: report damns CASA’, Canberra Times, 19 September 2008, p. 3. Sophie Morris, ‘Senate hits CASA for cosying up’, Australian Financial Review, 19 September 2008, p. 9. Steve Creedy, ‘Senate slams safety watchdog for being too close to sector’, The Australian, 26 September 2008, p. 40. via aph.gov.au website