ANA Skymaster Amana crash
Encyclopedia
The ANA Skymaster Amana crash was an aircraft crash which occurred near Perth
, Western Australia
on 26 June 1950. At 9:50pm, a Douglas DC-4
Skymaster aircraft named Amana, operated by Australian National Airways
, departed Guildford aerodrome (now Perth Airport
) in Perth, Western Australia
, heading for Adelaide
. Soon after departure, the airport lost radio contact with the aircraft, which crashed at 10:12pm.
A pilot flying the McDouall Stuart, another Skymaster aircraft operated by Trans Australia Airlines
, spotted a fire in bushland between Chidlow
and York
, and reported the co-ordinates. Rescue workers located the Amana, which had crashed in dense scrub on Berry Brow Estate, 12 statute miles (19.3 km) north-west of York. 28 people died instantly in the crash, including 23 passengers and five crew members. Two men who lived on the property were first on the scene of the widely scattered burning wreckage to discover an elderly man walking around dazed with burnt clothes. This 67 year old Adelaide businessman was the only person to survive the initial crash, but he died five days later in a Perth hospital. Eighteen bodies were so badly burnt they were not recognisable.
One of those killed, Stan Baker, an employee of Ampol Petroleum, had in 1931 been booked to fly to Melbourne on the aircraft Southern Cloud
on a flight during which it disappeared, but cancelled and made the journey by train instead, thus "surviving" the Southern Clouds disappearance.
It is still unknown exactly what caused the Amana crash despite a number of investigations. "Black box" flight recorder
s were not a feature of commercial aircraft in 1950. Speculative causes included water contamination of fuel and incompetency by the ground crew. It is known that after departure the number four engine had been shut down by the flight crew and subsequently the remaining three engines had all failed for indeterminate periods.
The crew then attempted to return to the airport but in the process, after clearing a ridge line, the aircraft struck a 10 metre-high tree and crashed into a downward slope. Eyewitnesses heard an explosion before the crash. Aircraft safety standards in Australia improved as a result of the investigation into this disaster.
An Inquiry was made into the crash. Mr Justice Simpson
made 3 recommendations as a result of the Inquiry.
The Amana had its first flight in 1946 and was the flagship of the fleet. It had set an Australian speed record for a commercial aircraft and established a world record for a Skymaster aircraft when it flew from Perth to Melbourne in 6 hours 16 mins at an average speed of 460 km/h.
There is a memorial to the victims of the crash at the entrance to the Beverley
Aeronautical Museum, with flowers laid in their memory on the anniversary of this incident. A memorial church service was held at St George's Cathedral for the victims who included two Anglican ministers.
The Skymaster crash was, at the time, Australia's worst civilian aircraft crash. Later, in 1960 Trans Australia Airlines Flight 538, a Fokker F27
, crashed into the sea off Mackay, Queensland
with the loss of all 29 people on board. The crash of the ANA Skymaster Amana remains the second worst commercial/civilian air disaster in Australian history and the worst in Western Australia's history.
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
on 26 June 1950. At 9:50pm, a Douglas DC-4
Douglas DC-4
The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
Skymaster aircraft named Amana, operated by Australian National Airways
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...
, departed Guildford aerodrome (now Perth Airport
Perth Airport
Perth Airport is an Australian domestic and international airport serving Perth, the capital and largest city of Western Australia. The airport itself is located in the suburb of Perth Airport....
) in Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, heading for 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...
. Soon after departure, the airport lost radio contact with the aircraft, which crashed at 10:12pm.
A pilot flying the McDouall Stuart, another Skymaster aircraft operated by Trans Australia Airlines
Trans Australia Airlines
Trans Australia Airlines or TAA, was one of the two major Australian domestic airlines between its inception in 1946 and its sale to Qantas in May 1996. During that period TAA played a major part in the development of the Australian air transport industry...
, spotted a fire in bushland between Chidlow
Chidlow, Western Australia
Chidlow is a small community in the Shire of Mundaring approximately 45 kilometres east of Perth, Western Australia.-History:The Chidlow townsite was originally named Chidlow's Well after a small waterhole near the old Northam road. The watering place had been known to travellers for many years and...
and York
York, Western Australia
York is the oldest inland town in Western Australia, situated 97 km east of Perth in the Avon Valley near Northam, and is the seat of the Shire of York...
, and reported the co-ordinates. Rescue workers located the Amana, which had crashed in dense scrub on Berry Brow Estate, 12 statute miles (19.3 km) north-west of York. 28 people died instantly in the crash, including 23 passengers and five crew members. Two men who lived on the property were first on the scene of the widely scattered burning wreckage to discover an elderly man walking around dazed with burnt clothes. This 67 year old Adelaide businessman was the only person to survive the initial crash, but he died five days later in a Perth hospital. Eighteen bodies were so badly burnt they were not recognisable.
One of those killed, Stan Baker, an employee of Ampol Petroleum, had in 1931 been booked to fly to Melbourne on the aircraft Southern Cloud
Southern Cloud
The Southern Cloud, registered VH-UMF, was one of 5 three-engine Avro 618 Ten aircraft flying daily airline services between several Australian cities for Australian National Airways in the early 1930s. On 21 March 1931, the Southern Cloud departed at 8:10 AM from Sydney for Melbourne. Onboard were...
on a flight during which it disappeared, but cancelled and made the journey by train instead, thus "surviving" the Southern Clouds disappearance.
It is still unknown exactly what caused the Amana crash despite a number of investigations. "Black box" flight recorder
Flight data recorder
A flight data recorder is an electronic device employed to record any instructions sent to any electronic systems on an aircraft. It is a device used to record specific aircraft performance parameters...
s were not a feature of commercial aircraft in 1950. Speculative causes included water contamination of fuel and incompetency by the ground crew. It is known that after departure the number four engine had been shut down by the flight crew and subsequently the remaining three engines had all failed for indeterminate periods.
An Inquiry was made into the crash. Mr Justice Simpson
William Simpson (judge)
William Ballantyne Simpson was an Australian soldier, barrister, Army officer, administrator and Supreme Court judge.-Early life:...
made 3 recommendations as a result of the Inquiry.
The Amana had its first flight in 1946 and was the flagship of the fleet. It had set an Australian speed record for a commercial aircraft and established a world record for a Skymaster aircraft when it flew from Perth to Melbourne in 6 hours 16 mins at an average speed of 460 km/h.
There is a memorial to the victims of the crash at the entrance to the Beverley
Beverley, Western Australia
Beverley is a town located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, south-east of the state capital, Perth, between York and Brookton on the Great Southern Highway...
Aeronautical Museum, with flowers laid in their memory on the anniversary of this incident. A memorial church service was held at St George's Cathedral for the victims who included two Anglican ministers.
The Skymaster crash was, at the time, Australia's worst civilian aircraft crash. Later, in 1960 Trans Australia Airlines Flight 538, a Fokker F27
Fokker F27
The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
, crashed into the sea off Mackay, Queensland
Mackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
with the loss of all 29 people on board. The crash of the ANA Skymaster Amana remains the second worst commercial/civilian air disaster in Australian history and the worst in Western Australia's history.