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Date: | Wednesday 9 December 1936 |
Time: | day |
Type: | de Havilland DH.60 Moth |
Owner/operator: | 1 FTS RAAF |
Registration: | A7-31 |
MSN: | None |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | RAAF Point Cook, Melbourne, VIC -
Australia
|
Phase: | Landing |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | RAAF Point Cook, Melbourne, Victoria |
Destination airport: | RAAF Point Cook, Melbourne, Victoria |
Narrative:A7-31 Taken on charge at 1 FTS, RAAF Point Cook, Cadet Wing 29.7.30. Written off when collided with Avro Cadet A6-9 and crashed 9.12.36 during the landing approach at RAAF Point Cook, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The pilot (Sgt Sommerville) was performing a local training flight at RAAF Point Cook. On final approach, his Moth collided with a RAAF Avro 643 Cadet registered A6-9. Both aircraft crashed and while Sgt Sommerville was killed, the second pilot was injured
Probable cause: According to RAAF, the Avro Cadet's pilot did not follow approach procedures and safe separation distance.
According to a contemporary newspaper report ("The Telegraph" (Brisbane, Qld) Wednesday 9 December 1936 Page 14):
"PLANES COLLIDE IN LANDING AT POINT COOK
Two Occupants Injured
MELBOURNE, December 9.
Two planes collided when coming in to land at Point Cook to-day and their occupants, two members of the staff, were injured.
They were: Pilot Sergeant Sommerville, fractured left leg and Flight Lieutenant Candy, cuts on face and head and abrasions.
Both had been on practice flights, and were coming down to land. Apparently, there was a misunderstanding between the two pilots, because they collided when a few feet from the ground, and fell in a cloud of dust. Both planes were badly damaged."
Struck off charge 23.2.37
Sources:
1. "The Telegraph" (Brisbane, Qld) Wednesday 9 December 1936 Page 14):
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184057306 2. "The Riverine Herald" (Echuca, Victoria and Moama, NSW) Thursday 10 December 1936 Page 3:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/116247114 3.
https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-de-havilland-dh60-moth-point-cook-1-killed 4.
http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/dh60.pdf 5.
http://www.adf-gallery.com.au//2a7.htm 6.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAAF_Williams Location
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
27-Sep-2008 01:00 |
ASN archive |
Added |
11-Jan-2014 22:42 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
06-Apr-2014 21:27 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Source, Narrative] |
22-Aug-2017 11:55 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Source] |
04-Feb-2019 15:32 |
Nepa |
Updated [Time, Operator, Operator] |
05-Feb-2021 17:27 |
Sergey L. |
Updated [Source] |
09-Jun-2022 20:22 |
Ron Averes |
Updated [Location] |
21-Oct-2023 15:20 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [[Location]] |
22-Oct-2023 17:08 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [[[Location]]] |