This Day in History: 1927-03-24

de Havilland DH.9C G-AUED operated by QANTAS crashed at Tambo, Queensland on 24 March 1927. The aircraft was on a regular route between Charleville and Mount Isa with Tambo as its secondary destination. It intended landing on the clay-pan that served as Tambo’s airstrip when it was seen to dive suddenly into the ground. Mystery surrounds why the crash occurred but it was determined the aeroplane had landed at a nearby station to undertake repairs. The three men on board were buried at the Tambo cemetery. The Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton), 25th March 1927 reported “After just over six years’ operation during which over 450,000 miles have been flown without injury to either personnel or passengers, disaster befell one of the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service aeroplanes at Tambo this morning. The pilot, D. Davidson, of Richmond, and A. W. N. Bell, owner of Belmont Station Winton, who accompanied him as passenger, were killed, while the other passenger, J. Donaldson, manager of Rocklands Station, Camooweal, was so severely injured that he succumbed some hours after the accident. It was the pilot’s first trip.” Sources: aviation-safety.net website; Monuments Australia