1938 Kyeema Crash
Encyclopedia
The Kyeema airline crash took place on the 25 October 1938 when the Australian National Airways
Douglas DC-2
Kyeema, tail number VH-UYC, flying from Adelaide
to Melbourne
, Australia
, commenced final approach to Essendon Airport
through heavy fog and crashed into the western slopes of Mount Dandenong
, also known as Mount Corhanwarrabul, killing all 18 on board instantly.
as Daylesford
through a gap in the clouds, leading them to believe that they were 30 kilometres (19 miles) behind where they actually were on their flight plan.
Had the flight crew cross-referenced their ground speed with previous landmarks, they would likely have realised that they were not where they thought they were. Instead, they overshot Essendon
and, unable to see through the heavy fog, crashed into Mount Dandenong a few hundred metres from the summit.
Exactly what happened in the last few minutes before the crash is disputed. There are claims that the pilots may have seen the mountain coming and tried to turn the aircraft away, inadvertently making the situation worse by adjusting from a flight path through a gap between two peaks to a path directly into one of them.
There is also strong evidence that the pilots were becoming unsure of their position. According to Macarthur Job
s book, Disaster in the Dandenongs, the radio operator had requested the controller at Essendon give them a radio bearing. Essendon had acknowledged and told them to leave their transmitter on, but the signal stopped and no further contact was made. It is thought that this is the moment that Kyeema hit the mountain.
, and a cadet pilot who operated the radio during the flight.
Among the passengers was a well-respected Australian Member of Parliament, Charles Hawker
; three leading wine makers from South Australia
, Hugo Gramp, Tom Hardy and Sidney Hill Smith; several barristers; and a young couple on their honeymoon.
By public demand a Royal Commission into the cause of the disaster was established, and the Australian Federal Government
appointed an Air Accident Investigation Committee under the Chairmanship of Colonel T. Murdoch DSO
, VCE
with the public equiry commencing on 30 October 1938. Because of the crash, regulations were passed which require flight checking officers to monitor the flights of airplanes and advise on such things as position, weather, and alternate landing options. Also implementation of a 33 MHz radio range system was recommended to provide pilots with accurate information on their course.
It was not until 40 years after the crash that a memorial to the Kyeema and its eighteen passengers was created at the crash site.
Australian National Airways
Australian National Airways was Australia's predominant carrier from the mid-1930s to the early 1950s.-The Holyman Airways Period:On 19 March 1932 Flinders Island Airways began a regular aerial service using the Desoutter Mk.II VH-UEE Miss Launceston between Launceston, Tasmania and Flinders...
Douglas DC-2
Douglas DC-2
The Douglas DC-2 was a 14-seat, twin-engine airliner produced by the American company Douglas Aircraft Corporation starting in 1934. It competed with the Boeing 247...
Kyeema, tail number VH-UYC, flying from Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, commenced final approach to Essendon Airport
Essendon Airport
Essendon Airport is located at Essendon, in Melbourne's northern suburbs, Victoria, Australia. It is located next to the Tullamarine Freeway on , from the Melbourne Central Business District and from Melbourne Airport.-History:...
through heavy fog and crashed into the western slopes of Mount Dandenong
Mount Dandenong, Victoria
Mount Dandenong is both a mountain and small township/suburb of Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 35 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges...
, also known as Mount Corhanwarrabul, killing all 18 on board instantly.
Crash Summary
The flight took off from Adelaide at 11:22. As it entered the area around Melbourne, it came across a heavy cloud layer, extending from 1500 feet (457 m) to 400 feet (122 m) and making landmark navigation difficult. As a result, the flight crew mistakenly identified SunburySunbury, Victoria
Sunbury is a regional city, located north-west of Melbourne's central business district, in the state of Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hume. At the 2006 Census, Sunbury had a population of 31,000...
as Daylesford
Daylesford, Victoria
Daylesford is a town located in the Shire of Hepburn, Victoria, Australia. It is a former goldmining town about 115 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range. At the 2006 census, Daylesford had a population of 3,073...
through a gap in the clouds, leading them to believe that they were 30 kilometres (19 miles) behind where they actually were on their flight plan.
Had the flight crew cross-referenced their ground speed with previous landmarks, they would likely have realised that they were not where they thought they were. Instead, they overshot Essendon
Essendon, Victoria
Essendon is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley...
and, unable to see through the heavy fog, crashed into Mount Dandenong a few hundred metres from the summit.
Exactly what happened in the last few minutes before the crash is disputed. There are claims that the pilots may have seen the mountain coming and tried to turn the aircraft away, inadvertently making the situation worse by adjusting from a flight path through a gap between two peaks to a path directly into one of them.
There is also strong evidence that the pilots were becoming unsure of their position. According to Macarthur Job
Macarthur Job
Macarthur Job is an Australian aviation writer and air safety consultant. He has published nine books on aviation safety...
s book, Disaster in the Dandenongs, the radio operator had requested the controller at Essendon give them a radio bearing. Essendon had acknowledged and told them to leave their transmitter on, but the signal stopped and no further contact was made. It is thought that this is the moment that Kyeema hit the mountain.
Passengers and crew
There were 18 people on board the DC-2: 14 passengers, the captain, the first officer, an air hostessFlight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
, and a cadet pilot who operated the radio during the flight.
Among the passengers was a well-respected Australian Member of Parliament, Charles Hawker
Charles Hawker
Charles Allan Seymour Hawker was an Australian politician.Hawker was born near Clare, South Australia and educated at Geelong Grammar School, Hawker and Trinity College, Cambridge, earning Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in 1919 and 1922 respectively. While at Cambridge he enlisted in the...
; three leading wine makers from South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, Hugo Gramp, Tom Hardy and Sidney Hill Smith; several barristers; and a young couple on their honeymoon.
Aftermath
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
appointed an Air Accident Investigation Committee under the Chairmanship of Colonel T. Murdoch DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, VCE
Victorian Certificate of Education
The Victorian Certificate of Education or VCE is the credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete high school level studies in the state of Victoria, Australia. Study for the VCE is usually completed over two years, but it can be spread over a longer period in some cases...
with the public equiry commencing on 30 October 1938. Because of the crash, regulations were passed which require flight checking officers to monitor the flights of airplanes and advise on such things as position, weather, and alternate landing options. Also implementation of a 33 MHz radio range system was recommended to provide pilots with accurate information on their course.
It was not until 40 years after the crash that a memorial to the Kyeema and its eighteen passengers was created at the crash site.