Michael Smith – Aviation Historical Society of Australia

DerekB09/03/202609/03/2026

Outlook AHSA Newsletter February 2026

The AHSA newsletter, Outlook, is back - with a new editor, Jarryd Cripps. The February 2026 edition of Outlook / AHSA News was distributed...

DerekB26/10/202526/10/2025

2025 Duigan Memorial Lecture – Michael Smith

The Aviation Historical Society of Australia is pleased to announce the 2025 Duigan Memorial Lecture, to be held at the Duigan Centre, Brighton Grammar...

1928 de Havilland DH.60 Moth G-AUAP operated by Australian Aero Club (South Australia Section) crashed at Parafield, South Australia on 11 March 1928 while performing low aerobatics over the airfield. G-AUAP was one of several such machines assigned to the South Australia section of the Australian Aero Club by the Civil Aviation Branch, Department of Defence. There was 1 fatality and the aircraft was written off. Sources: Ed Coates Aircraft Photos; aviation-safety.net website

1943 de Havilland DH.84 Dragon A34-48 of 34 Sqn RAAF crashed at Parafield, South Australia on 11 March 1943. On a routine flight the aircraft was observed to stall at a low height and crash approximately one mile east of Parafield aerodrome at 0715hrs. The pilot PLTOFF Milton Hubert CONKEY of Cootamundra NSW and passenger LAC Bernard James HOVEY of Creswick, VIC were both killed. The aircraft was written off. Sources: ADF Serials; aviation-safety.net website

1945 Bristol Beaufort VIII A9-566 of 15 Sqn RAAF crashed near Bowen, Queensland, 160 miles southeast of Townsville on 11 March 1945. The aircraft was on a travel flight between Amberley and Garbutt. The crew of 5 all perished in the crash. They were SQNLDR Arthur John Sharp DFC 402140 (pilot), FLTLT Tristram Wilfred Pascoe 26792, WO Ernest Andrew Thompson 408889, WO John Norton Mossop 407846 and LAC Douglas Milne Finlay 72896. Sources: ADF Serials; aviation-safety.net website

1952 de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito T Mk 43 A52-1067 (re-numbered from A52-37) of Central Flying School RAAF crashed 11 miles east of RAAF station East Sale, Victoria on 11 March 1952. According to a newspaper report, those killed were: Fit. Lt. William E.F. Wilson of Elgin Street, Sale, and Warrant officer G.I. Wilson of Melbourne. Eyewitnesses said the plane hit the ground and immediately exploded with a terrific roar on the property of Mr. James Stewart. They said the plane appeared to get out of control after pulling out of a dive at low level, and then lost height rapidly. When farmers from nearby properties reached the scene of the crash, they found an area a quarter a mile across razed by fire. Burnt-out wreckage from the plane was found as far as 400 yards from the point of impact. There were 2 fatalities and the aircraft was written off. Sources: Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga, NSW) Wed 12 Mar 1952, Page 1, "Two die in Vic. plane crash"; www2f.com website; aviation-safety.net website

1989 Scott Winton set a record for Altitude (Microlights and paramotors RAL1T ) of 9,144 m at Tyagarah Aerodrome, NSW on 11 Mar 1989. He was flying his home-built Winton Facet Opal flying wing. Source: FAI Records website, ID=159

2010 The Transport Security Legislation Amendment (2010 Measures No. 1) Bill 2010 was introduced on 11 March 2010 to increase the flexibility of the aviation transport security framework to rapidly respond to a security incident. Source: A Martyn, Bills Digest no. 141, 2009–10, Parliamentary Library, Canberra 2010. via aph.gov.au website

2019 Chris Byrnes set a record for "Greatest horizontal distance" (Parachuting G-1 ) of 4,977 m on 11 Mar 2019. Source: FAI Records website, ID=18869

2020 Cessna 404 Titan VH-OZO operated by Airconnect Aviation crashed at 7 km SE of Lockhart River Airport, QLD (IRG/YLHR) on 11 March 2020. The aircraft was on a passenger charter flight from Cairns to Lockhart River and return. The aircraft departed Cairns at 0719. At 0901:25, the pilot made a radio broadcast advising the aircraft was 10 NM to the south-east of the aerodrome, inbound to runway 30 and on descent passing 4,000 ft. At 0907:22, the pilot radioed that he was conducting a missed approach for runway 30, tracking to the west then turning back to the east and climbing to 3,500 ft. At 0915:50 (on his second approach to the airport), the pilot made another inbound broadcast advising he was 10 miles [NM] to the south-east on descent passing three thousand eight hundred [3,800 ft] [unclear phrase, possibly ‘correction’] two thousand eight hundred [2,800 ft], straight-in approach runway three zero [30], circuit area two one [time 0921]. At the start of the transmission, the aircraft was on descent through 2,900 ft. The ATSB notes that the recorded transmission sounded routine. The aircraft continued its descent in towards the runway, and descended through the segment minimum safe altitude (the aircraft flew a descent path approximately 1,000ft lower than the 3 degree descent path). At 0918:23, the aircraft was on descent through 1,100 ft. From waypoints LHREF to LHREM, the altitude limitation was the Minimum Descent Altitude of 730 ft (assuming the pilot had set the current QNH). About 30 seconds later, the aircraft was approaching 700 ft with an apparent decrease in the descent rate for a short period. The aircraft then descended below the MDA and the aircraft track diverged to the left, crossing the inbound track at an angle of about 20°. The divergent aircraft track and descent continued until the aircraft impacted a sand dune on the coastline at 0919:40, approximately 2 nm short of the runway threshold. The pilot and four passengers were fatally injured and the aircraft was destroyed. At the time of this entry, the accident investigation was still active. Sources: ATSB; aviation-safety.net website

2021 Expressions of interest for the auction of thirty-two aircraft of Soar Aviation Aircraft Holdings closed on 11 March 2021. The aircraft were being sold under instructions from KPMG (Administrators Appointed) by Pickles Auctions. The aircraft for sale were located at Moorabbin and Bankstown airports and included 3 x Tecnam P2006T twins, 9 x Tecnam P2008, 1 x Aquila A210, 12 x Bristell S, 3 x Aeroprakt Vixxen A32, 4 x Aeroprakt Foxbat A22LS. Source: planesales website