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| Date: | Wednesday 10 June 1953 |
| Time: | 05:15 LT |
| Type: | Auster J/5B Autocar |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | VH-*** |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Other fatalities: | 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Kalumburu Mission Airstrip, Kalumburu, Kimberley, Western Australia -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Kalumburu Mission Airstrip, Kalumburu, Kimberley, Western Australia.. |
Auster J/5B Autocar, was written off (destroyed) when crashed 10 June 1953 at Kalumburu Mission, Kalumburu, Kimberley, Western Australia: the aircraft ground looped on the takeoff run and collided with a truck. The incident was reported in detail in the DCA Aviation Safety Digest - Issue 03 - January 1954:
Auster Take-Off Accident - Kalumburu Mission, W.A.
DURING an attempted take-off from Kalumburu Mission Aerodrome at about 05:15 hours on the 10th June, 1953, an Auster Autocar collided with a truck parked on the side of the airstrip. The two passengers and the
pilot of the aircraft escaped injury, but a native who was standing on the back of the truck was
killed. A European seated in the truck was seriously injured, but the other occupant was uninjured.
After the arrival of the passengers at about 0500 hours, the pilot requested that the truck be placed on the south side of the 285° strip and near the intersection in order to mark a rough patch. The truck was parked 100 feet from the centreline of the strip, some 19 feet inside the strip markers, and facing about 45° to the
aircraft. The one serviceable headlight was on.
The aircraft which had been parked at the end of the 285° strip, commenced to take-off on that strip at 05:15 hours, some 19 minutes before official daylight. The weather was fine with no wind, and according to the witnesses the ground visibility was slightly in excess of 3 miles.
The pilot states that shortly after full power had been applied, and as the aircraft approached flying speed, the windscreen fogged on the inside. Before he had time to open the side panels or clean the windscreen, the aircraft became airborne and he elected to continue to take-off.
However, almost immediately the headlight of the truck became visible directly in front of the aircraft. Attempts to climb over the truck were unsuccessful and the propeller and starboard undercarriage leg struck the truck. The aircraft was thrown out of control and crashed straight ahead on the strip.
CAUSE
The cause of the accident was the pilot's loss of visual reference to the ground when taking-off under conditions of poor cockpit visibility, with the result that the aircraft deviated from the intended take-off path.
A contributory cause was the presence of a motor truck on the side of and half-way along the strip.
VIOLATIONS
By taking-off with the truck parked in close proximity to the intended take-off path where it could become a potential hazard in the event of any foreseeable emergency condition arising during the take-off, the pilot operated the aircraft in a manner likely to cause avoidable damage to persons and property, contrary to Air Navigation Regulation 124.
By taking-off on a VFR flight some 19 minutes before the commencement of official day as defined by this Department, the pilot apparently disregarded Air Navigation Regulation 154".
Sources:
1. DCA Aviation Safety Digest - Issue 03 - January 1954 pp.31-32: https://www.atsb.gov.au/sites/default/files/media/5774700/asd_03_jan_54.pdf
2. https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/entity/kalumburu-mission/
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalumburu,_Western_Australia#Post-war
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-May-2025 06:01 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
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