This Day in History: 1941-05-21

Beechcraft C17B Staggerwing VH-UYI crashed at Archerfield, QLD on 21 May 1941. At about 8.20pm on the aircraft, owned by grazier John William Fitzclarence Collins of “Nindoonbah” property near Beaudesert in southern Queensland crashed while taking off from Archerfield Airfield in Brisbane in southern Queensland. It caught fire when it hit a tree about 580 yards outside the south west corner of Archerfield Airfield. FLTLT John Collins (35 years old) and his passenger, SQNLDR Roy Cecil Phillips, M.C., D.F.C., (45 years old, married with four children) of No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School, were both tragically killed in the crash. It is believed that Phillips mistook the throttle lever for his undercarriage lever. Sources: aviation-safety.net website; Australia @ War website