Date:	Saturday 23 June 1934
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.60X Moth
Owner/operator:	Miss I J Bishop
Registration:	VH-UGU
MSN:	606
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Parafield Airport, 18 Km (11 miles) North of Adelaide, SA -   Australia
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Parafield Airport, Parafield, Adelaide, South Australia (YPPF)
Destination airport:	Parafield Airport, Parafield, Adelaide, South Australia (YPPF)

Narrative:
DH.60X [Cirrus II] sold to DH Australia with C of A 1465 issued 18.6.28. Registered as G-AUGU [C of R 216] 23.8.28 to C G Smith, Goulburn, New South Wales. Re-registered 29.9.28 to A English, Goulburn, New South Wales. Sold 11.3.29 [but not re-registered] to A. Bond, t/a Bond’s Motor Services, Adelaide, South Australia. Crashed into Victor Harbour 29.3.29; passenger killed. Registration cancelled 21.6.29 as "withdrawn from use".

Rebuilt in May 1933 by SA Airways Ltd, Parafield and registration VH-UGU restored 8.6.33 to Miss I J Bishop, Adelaide, South Australia.

Written off when crashed at Parafield, 18 Km North of Adelaide, South Australia, 23.6.34: The pilot Lawrence Newman was performing a training flight around the airport of Parafield in Adelaide on board the DH.60X Moth registered VH-UGU and owned by Miss I.J. Bishop. In flight, the single engine aircraft collided with another De Havilland DH.60M Gipsy Moth registered VH-UNE and owned by the Royal Aero Club of South Australia. The pilot Horace R. Blair Cowan was alone on the second machine. Both aircraft dove into the ground and were destroyed by impact forces. Both aviators were killed.

According to a contemporary newspaper report on the Inquest into the death of the pilots (Adelaide News (Adelaide, SA) Monday 25 Jun 1934 Page 1):

"AIR CRASH ENQUIRY AT PAR AFIELD
Funerals Of Victims
CLUB'S TRIBUTE
AN enquiry into the crash near Parafield Aerodrome on Saturday, in which two young pilots were killed, was begun at Parafield today by Wing-Commander E. Harrison, on behalf of the Air Accidents Investigation Committee.

The victims of the crash were:
Laurence Newman, aged 27, of Charlbury road, Medindie Gardens, and
Horace R. Blair Cowan, aged 18, of Hutt Street, City, son of Dr. and Mrs. Frank Cowan, of Craig Nook, River Murray.

Wing-Commander Harrison and the secretary of the committee (Flight Lieut. Wiggins) arrived' 'in Adelaide today in the express from Melbourne. The enquiry, which is conducted under regulations of the Civil Aviation Department, is held in camera. It is likely to last all today, and may extend until tomorrow.

The wings of the planes touched when they. were about 300 ft. from the ground. They crumpled. and fell, to the earth, both pilots being killed instantly. There is little possibility of the wrecked Aero Club plane being replaced immediately. The South Australian section is not in a strong financial position, and cannot purchase a new machine unless assisted by outside funds.

LITTLE SALVAGE
An inspection during the week-end showed that little of value could be salvaged from the plane. The two victims of the crash were buried this afternoon. Mr. Newman at St. Jude's Cemetery, Brighton, and Mr. Cowan at the Payneham Cemetery. In each instance an Aero Club plane flew overhead while the service at the graveside was in progress.

The Rev. Percy Tilbrook conducted a short service at the home of Mr. Newman's father-in-law, Mr. E. S. Fraser, of Seaview Road, Grange, before the funeral, and in his remarks at the graveside paid tribute to the sterling qualities of the young aviator. Mr. J. Churchill Smith attended as representative of the Aero Club.

The Rev. E. Lionel Harvie conducted the service at the Payneham Cemetery, where Col. A. K. Wendt attended as representative of the Aero Club".

1. Adelaide News (Adelaide, SA) Monday 25 Jun 1934 Page 1: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/128433392
2. Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW) Tuesday 26 Jun 1934 Page 1: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/49510993
3. The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA) Tuesday 26 Jun 1934 Page 9: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/35115800
4. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-de-havilland-dh60m-gipsy-moth-adelaide-1-killed
5. http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austu/VH-UGU.html
6. http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/dh60.pdf
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_VH-U.html
8. http://afleetingpeace.org/index.php/aeroplanes/15-aeroplanes/84-register-australia
9. As G-AUGU: https://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/page-australian-register/g-au?highlight=WyJ2aC11Z3UiXQ==
10. As VH-UGU: https://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/page-australian-register/vh-ua-um?highlight=WyJ2aC11Z3UiXQ==
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parafield_Airport#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
18-Jan-2014 21:46	Dr. John Smith	Added
25-Aug-2017 14:06	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Source, Narrative]
08-Jun-2022 00:23	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]
07-Nov-2023 08:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category]