Anniversary of Fokker Friendship Crash off Mackay

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June 10 is the 57th Anniversary of the Fokker Friendship crash in the Coral Sea off Mackay.

 

There is a memorial at Far Beach to those who died.

 

On June 10, 1960, TAA Flight 538, Fokker Friendship TFB was flying Brisbane – Maryborough – Rockhampton – Mackay, Captain F.G. Pollard, F/O G.L. Davis.

 

The passengers included nine boys from Rockhampton Grammar school who were flying home to their families in Mackay.

 

The forecast for Mackay was for shallow fog patches.

 

At Rockhampton fuel was added for an Alternate of Townsville.

 

The aircraft arrived over Mackay Airport at 8:40 pm in bright moonlight.

 

Two approaches were aborted due to low cloud.

 

By 10 pm the fog was thinning and TFB said they would begin an approach.

 

SAR was launched at 10:10 pm and wreckage was found by a launch around 3 am

 

In all, 29 people died, the equal second worst crash in Australia’s history (the worst being a US military aircraft in WW2).

 

The cause was not determined.

 

One suggestion was a faulty altimeter, another was the 3-point altimeter fitted in the aircraft (they were withdrawn from service after this crash), another was the effects of a bottle of ether a schoolboy who flew model planes was carrying when he visited the cockpit, and another was a low approach to stay under the cloud and accidentally putting a wing tip into the water. (these were wilder days; in the 1970’s it was common for F27s to fly into Wynyard, Tasmania just above sea level, below the cliffs, and then lift up at the last minute.

 

 

 

 

 

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AUSTRALIA'S WORST AIR CRASHES

 

 

 

 

[rickshaw8]

A friend of my late father cancelled a booking on the flight to come fishing with us. Fish were light on but he still considers it his Best ever fishing trip.

 

 

[winsor68]

Was just flying an RC Alula at Farbeach a couple of hours ago...

 

 

 

[DingerPPC]

What a step up th Fokker's were getting to & from King Island after DC3's but love the old girls.

 

 

[onetrack]

Got a mate (now aged 75) who was booked on the Vickers Viscount flight to Pt Hedland. At the last minute, a change was made by his employees, and another bloke took his place.

 

He just shrugs about it now, reckons bad luck can hit you anytime, anywhere, and a lot of people regularly experience brushes with eternity.