Crash of a Mitsubishi G4M1 off Darwin: 8 killed

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Mitsubishi G4M
Operator:
Registration:
T-361
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Kupang - Kupang
Location:
Darwin
Northern Territory
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
Shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea west of Darwin, killing the entire crew.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Mitsubishi G4M1 off Darwin: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Mitsubishi G4M
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Kupang - Kupang
Location:
Darwin
Northern Territory
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
Shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea west of Darwin. All seven crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Short S.23 Empire Flying Boat off Darwin: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 22, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Short S.23 Empire Flying Boat
Operator:
Registration:
G-AEUF
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Brisbane – Karumba – Darwin
MSN:
S.848
YOM:
1937
Location:
Darwin
Northern Territory
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
After landing at night some 2 miles off Darwin, the seaplane named 'Corinthian' collided with unknown debris floating on water and sank rapidly. Two passengers were killed and 13 other occupants were rescued. All passengers were members of the 102nd Coastal Artillery Battalion.
Probable cause:
Collision with unknown floating objects.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.84A Dragon I in Wyndham

Date & Time: Mar 3, 1942 at 1000 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.84 Dragon
Operator:
Registration:
A34-9
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Darwin - Wyndham - Perth
MSN:
6045
YOM:
1933
Location:
Wyndham
Western Australia
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Darwin on a special flight to Perth, carrying evacuees, and a stop was scheduled at Wyndham Airport. Upon landing at Wyndham Airfield, the airplane was attacked by a Japanese fighter. All six occupants evacuated the airplane and were slightly injured. The airplane continued on down the runway now ablaze from the strafing and came to a stop, bursting into flames.
Crew:
F/Lt Warwick, pilot.
Probable cause:
Attacked by a Japanese fighter.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson II off Darwin: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 10, 1941 at 0545 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-414 Hudson
Operator:
Registration:
A16-69
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Darwin – Ambon
MSN:
414-1922
YOM:
1940
Location:
Darwin
Northern Territory
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed Darwin Airport at 0530LT on a flight to Ambon, Indonesia. Some 15 minutes into the flight, while cruising at an altitude of 400 feet, the airplane stalled and crashed into the sea, bursting into flames. All four crew members were killed.
Crew (13th Squadron):
W/Cdr Joshua Roger Gray McDonald, pilot,
F/O Ralph Henry Pope,
Sgt Wallace Roy Foreman,
Sgt Walter John Nagel.
Probable cause:
The accident was attributed to a crew error when the pilot decided to reduce the speed to 95 knots with flaps down to let two other aircrafts create a formation. This caused the aircraft to stall and spin into the sea.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.83 Fox Moth in Katherine: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 10, 1941
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.83 Fox Moth
Operator:
Northern Territory Medical Services
Registration:
VH-UZS
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Ambulance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Katherine – Darwin
MSN:
DHA5
YOM:
1937
Location:
Katherine
Northern Territory
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Katherine Airfield, while on an ambulance flight to Darwin, the pilot encountered engine problems and attempted an emergency landing. The aircraft hit tree tops and crashed upside down, bursting into flames. While the nurse and the pilot were injured, the female patient was killed and the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.
Probable cause:
The engine failed shortly after takeoff because the fuel was contaminated with water.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I off Darwin: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-414 Hudson
Operator:
Registration:
A16-8
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Darwin - Dawrin
MSN:
414-1859
YOM:
1940
Location:
Darwin
Northern Territory
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a training flight on behalf of the 13th Squadron. After simulating an aerial attack, the pilot initiated a steep descent. Approaching the ground, he pulled up the control column but the airplane impacted the ground with its left wing. The left engine was torn off and the pilot regain control for few seconds before the aircraft eventually crashed into the sea, some 250 metres offshore. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Murray Charles Davies,
F/O Paul John Wallace Keely,
Sgt Maxwell Alexander Hipkins,
LAC James Curry.
Probable cause:
Poor judgment on part of the pilot who did not evaluate correctly the distance with the ground while simulating an attack.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.60 Moth near Mount Brockman

Date & Time: Dec 24, 1940
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.60 Moth
Operator:
Charles N. K. Bell
Registration:
VH-UAR
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Darwin - Oenpelli
MSN:
366
YOM:
1927
Location:
Mount Brockman
Northern Territory
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Darwin to Oenpelli, the single engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances near Mount Brockman, some 45 km south of Oenpelli. The pilot, sole on board, was on a delivery mission to Oenpelli with 'Christmas Supplies' on board. The aircraft was wrecked and the pilot was seriously injured.

Crash of a Lockheed 10A Electra in Darwin

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1939 at 0545 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed 10 Electra
Operator:
Registration:
VH-UXI
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Darwin – Adelaide
MSN:
1105
YOM:
1937
Location:
Darwin
Northern Territory
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft named 'Moresby' departed Darwin Airport at 0535LT bound for Adelaide with 10 soldiers and two crew on behalf of the Royal Australian Air Force. Five minutes after takeoff, the right engine caught fire and the crew decided to return to Darwin. On final approach, the captain was forced to attempt an emergency landing when, in low visibility, the aircraft hit a tree and crashed in a prairie, bursting into flames. All 12 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was completely destroyed by fire.
Probable cause:
Engine fire after takeoff.

Crash of a General Aircraft ST-18 Croydon into the Timor Sea

Date & Time: Oct 7, 1936
Type of aircraft:
General Aircraft ST-18 Croydon
Operator:
Claude Ronald Anson
Registration:
G-AECB
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Darwin – Croydon
MSN:
501
YOM:
1936
Location:
Timor Sea
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While returning from Darwin to Croydon and flying over the Timor Sea, the crew made several navigation errors and eventually decided to ditch the airplane in the Seringapatam Reef. The airplane came to rest into the lagoon located some 300 km off Cape Leveque, Western Australia. All four occupants were rescued by local fishermen while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair and abandoned on site.
Probable cause:
Navigation error caused by a compass failure.
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