Date:	Sunday 21 June 1953
Time:	16:40 LT
Type:	BA Swallow 2
Owner/operator:	A. Oliver
Registration:	VH-UTQ
MSN:	403
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Boltons Creek, 2 miles North of Tamworth Airport, Tamworth, NSW -   Australia
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Tamworth Airport, Tamworth, NSW
Destination airport:

Narrative:
c/no 403: C of A 4875 issued 30.7.35 to Adastra Airways Ltd [Pobjoy Cataract II]. Registered as VH-UTQ [C of R 543] 23.9.35 to T.M. Bowman, Muswellbrook, NSW. Sold 20.5.46 and re-registered 29.5.46 to A Oliver, Gunnedah, NSW. Written off (damaged beyond repair) when crashed 2 miles North of Tamworth Airport, Tamworth, NSW 21.6.53. The aircraft came down in a paddock between Bolwers Lane and Boltons Creek. The incident was described in detail in the DCA Aviation Safety Digest - Issue 03 - January 1954:

"Stall Accident, B.A. Swallow - Near Tamworth, N.S.W.
A B.A. Swallow aircraft sustained substantial damage when it crashed about 2 miles north of Tamworth Aerodrome, N.S.W., at about 16:40 hours on the 21st June, 1953. Neither the pilot nor his passenger was injured.

THE OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT
The take-off and climb from Tamworth were normal and the aircraft levelled out at about 800 feet. Shortly after levelling out, the aircraft passed over a small settlement 2 miles north of Tamworth and the passenger pointed out his home to the pilot. The pilot was unable to pick out the particular house, so turned and flew back over the settlement at a height of about 30 feet.

The aircraft was observed to fly over the settlement at a very low altitude and make several turns at a height between 40 and 150 feet around the residence of the passenger. The aircraft then climbed to about 400 feet and began a turn to the right. While in this turn, and with right wing down, the aircraft began to "sink." The pilot immediately applied full power and moved the control stick to the left and back in attempt to effect recovery. However, the aircraft continued to lose height rapidly and after passing through some telephone wires, crashed in a field.

CAUSE
It was considered that the cause of the accident was an error of judgment on the part of the pilot in attempting to take-off from a field when the available length was' inadequate.

VIOLATIONS
In attempting to take-off from a field that did not meet the requirements for authorized landing grounds for Auster aircraft as specified by Air Navigation Orders, Section 91.3, the pilot apparently disregarded Air Navigation Regulation 89.

The length of the available run was so short that the pilot flew the aircraft in circumstances likely to cause avoidable danger to the passengers and aircraft in apparent contravention of Air Navigation Regualtion 124 (2).

Court action was taken against the pilot for contravening these Regulations, which resulted in him being fined £15 with costs on each account".

Registration VH-UTQ cancelled 11.1.55

1. DCA Aviation Safety Digest - Issue 03 - January 1954: https://www.atsb.gov.au/sites/default/files/media/5774700/asd_03_jan_54.pdf
2. Daily Mercury (Mackay, Qld.) Monday 22 June 1953 Page 1: In plane crash—unharmed: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/170120217
3. https://www.ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/BK_BAMco.pdf
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_VH-U1.html
5. https://aeropedia.com.au/content/ba-swallow/
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamworth_Regional_Airport

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-May-2025 06:02	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Source, Narrative, Category, ]