For you TW,
C/n 5003 Mk.1 G-ALLK, VH-EBQ
50 Built by De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd at Bankstown Airport, Sydney NSW. C/n 5003
First production Drover
Planned to be delivered to the parent DH company for a sales drive in Britain and Europe. However production was so delayed it was diverted to Qantas to be the first of their order for 7 new Drovers 31.3.49 Registered G-ALLK De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd, Hatfield UK. Not imported. Registration cancelled 16.10.50 1.9.50 First flight Bankstown 13.9.50 Registered VH-EBQ Qantas Empire Airways Ltd, Sydney NSW 13.9.50 CofA issued. Fitted with 12 folding passenger seats which could be easily removed for cargo use. 13.9.50 DHA quoted delivery date to Qantas 9.50 Ferried from Sydney to Lae. where QEA will base all its Drovers on QEA New Guinea Internal Services 6.1.51 DCA Aircraft inspection report: total flying time 183 hours mid 51 Ferried from New Guinea to Bankstown for maintenance including modification of the windscreen wipers to improve their effectiveness 16.7.51 Crashed in sea off Lae, New Guinea.
While operating a scheduled airline service from Wau to Bulolo and Lae, crashed in Huon Gulf, 4 miles south of Lae Aerodrome while attempting to land at Lae in low cloud and rain. Captain J. W. Spiers and 6 passengers were killed.
DCA Accident report: “The aircraft departed Bulolo at 0835 hours local time with one pilot and six passengers. 31 Minutes later the pilot reported over the mouth of the Markham River, about three minutes out from Lae Aerodrome. At this time there was continuous rain in the area with visiballity at the aerodrome reduced to two miles. Nothing further was heard from the aircraft and pieces of wreckage and two bodies were recovered from the sea south of Lae at noon the same day. There were no survivors.”
The initial finding of investigation by DCA and QEA was pilot error in that Spiers continued the VFR flight into reduced visibility in low cloud and rain. The wreckage salvaged included the centre propeller which was missing blade. This was assumed to be caused by impact with the sea.
However after the ditching of VH-DHA 16.4.52, renewed Investigation revealed that the missing centre propeller blade had suffered structural failure and broke away in flight, causing the engine to pull out of its mountings and the pilot to lost control and the aircraft struck the sea. 5.5.52 Struck-off Register