March 2021 Outlook Newsletter

DerekB29/03/202107/10/2021

The March 2021 edition of Outlook AHSA News has been emailed to members.

A copy can also be downloaded from the Newsletter archive here on the website. Click on the link below to open this edition:

Outlook AHSA Newsletter Volume 37 Number 2 March 2021

1943 Wing Commander Gibson Lee took the first Australian-built de Havilland Mosquito, FB40 serial A52-1, into the air for the first time from Bankstown on 23 July 1943. It was only 12 months after engineer John Mills had returned from Hatfield with production information and rewarded the enthusiasm, dedication and efforts of the de Havilland Australia management and staff. Source: Aeroplane Monthly January 2017, "Mills and the Mossie"

1992 Socata TB20 Trinidad VH-LQB crashed at Ceduna, SA on 23 July 1992. At 0700 CST on 23 July 1992, two foreign national pilots, who were undergoing airline transport pilot licence training acquired the keys and documentation for the aircraft in preparation for a daytime instrument flight rules (IFR) navigational exercise. The aircraft departed at about 0930. After carrying out practice instrument approaches at several aerodromes along the route, they arrived over Ceduna at 1330 where an NDB approach was made before landing. While positioning the aircraft for refuelling a scraping sound was heard from the front of the engine. After the aircraft was refuelled and the engine restarted, the same noise was heard. An examination revealed that the starter motor was remaining engaged. The pilots contacted the operator and requested assistance. The operator despatched a maintenance engineer who replaced the starter motor. The aircraft commenced taxiing at 1854. The pilot established radio contact with Adelaide Flight Service Unit (FSU) advising that he was taxiing for Parafield, IFR, and would be using runway 11. Witnesses, located to the north of the Flinders Highway, noticed the lights of an aircraft departing from Ceduna Airport, tracking in an easterly direction. Although several kilometres away from the aircrafts track, they believed it was lower than normal, having watched many aircraft depart, including three or four that day. The aircraft lights then descended towards the ground and an orange flame appeared, followed by the sound of an explosion. Cessna Conquest VH-ANJ informed Adelaide FSU that they had observed VH-LQB depart, and then saw a fireball appear in that direction. Adelaide FSU were unable to contact VH-LQB. VH-ANJ was requested to locate the fire when airborne and direct emergency services to it. The fire was located approximately 5 km from the airport, 3 km to the right of runway 11 centre line. It was subsequently identified as the wreckage of VH-LQB. Both pilots aboard VH-LQB were killed in the crash. Sources: ATSB, aviation-safety.net website