Date:	Monday 11 July 1960
Time:	day
Type:	Miles M.65 Gemini Mk 1A
Owner/operator:	Nor West Whaling Co Ltd
Registration:	VH-BMW
MSN:	6504
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Caernarfon Airport, Caernarfon, Western Australia -   Australia
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Maylands Aerodrome, Perth, Western Australia
Destination airport:	Carnarvon Airport, Caernarfon, Western Australia (CVQ/YCAR)

Narrative:
VH-BMW was damaged 11.7.60 at Carnarvon Airport, Caernarfon, Western Australia (CVQ/YCAR) when the port undercarriage failed to extend for landing.

1. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/archive/Archive_1993.pdf p.93
2. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/archive/Archive_1994.pdf p.94
3. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AKGB.pdf
4. https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1758627
5. http://edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austb/VH-BMW.html
6. https://www.austairdata.com.au/component/rsdirectory/entry/view/12260:vh-bmw-1
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maylands_Airport
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnarvon_Airport_(Western_Australia)

c/no. 6504 Miles M.65 Gemini 1A. Registered G-AKGB to Island Air Charters Ltd 16.9.47. C of A 9746 issued 6.10.47. C of R 11890/1. Regsitrstion temporarily cancelled 19.12.47. Re-registered to Miles Aircraft Ltd 3.2.48. Registration G-AKGB cancelled 8.2.49 as \'sold abroad\'.

Nominal change to Western Manufacturing Estates Ltd 30.11.48. Re-registered in Australia as VH-BMW to Allison Gray & Co Pty Ltd 22.2.49. To Glenhope Pty Ltd 8.9.50. To A. J. Carmichael 10.9.53. To Schutt Aircraft Sales & Service 7.2.55. To D. T. F. Preston 1.3.55. To Westralian Oil Ltd 1.8.55. To Dr. H. J. C. Hanrahan 28.9.59. To Nor West Whaling Co Ltd, backdated to 25.9.59.

Nor West Whaling Co Ltd had used the Miles Gemini for whale spotting operations until the DCA grounding order, when they replaced it with the Piper Apache VH-BUA. (The \"grounding order\" was when the DCA ordered all aircraft with caesin-glued joints - including Miles M.65 Geminis - to be grounded for safely reasons). This meant that VH-BMW was damaged and \"not worth repairing\"; even if it had been restored to flying condition, the DCA would have denied the aircraft a C of A.

Registration cancelled 14.1.63 as \"Withdrawn From Use\". Purchased by Western Australia Aircraft Service Co Pty Ltd for spares but last known derelict at Maylands. All airworthy residents of Maylands moved to Jandakot Airport, south of Perth by the end of June 1963. VH-BMW was still on the airfield at Maylands, WA on 10.6.64, by which time the field was disused.

According to one source (see link #5): \"Weather beaten but still complete, the Gemini was destroyed by vandals one night in June 1964\"

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
08-Mar-2025 07:42	Dr. John Smith	Added
08-Mar-2025 07:43	ASN	Updated [Narrative, ]