Date & Time:
May 29, 1943 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.84 Dragon
Operator:
Registration:
A34-51
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Warruwi - Batchelor
MSN:
2040
YOM:
1943
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
1
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Warruwi on a return flight to Batchelor, carrying two passengers and one pilot. Few minutes after takeoff, the pilot flew low to investigate a lugger hidden up a tidal creek. While circling around for a better look, he misjudged the height, causing the airplane to struck a tree and to crash. The lugger was crewed by Dutch servicemen who had escaped from the NEI (Netherland East Indies). The Dutchmen rescued the survivors of the crash and also made radio contact with Darwin to report the crash. A passenger was killed.
Crew:
F/O John Slade, pilot.
Passengers:
F/O F. H. Porter,
F/O Leslie John Keith Olney. †
Crew:
F/O John Slade, pilot.
Passengers:
F/O F. H. Porter,
F/O Leslie John Keith Olney. †
Probable cause:
The pilot misjudged the distance between the airplane and the ground, resulting in an in-flight collision with a tree and a subsequent crash.
