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Old 23rd Mar 2013, 06:59
  #3807 (permalink)  
tail wheel
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I think the last Norseman left PNG around 1961?

VH-GSF had an ignoble end in Australia.........

Noorduyn UC 64A Norseman, Bolkow-Apparaterbao Gmbh, VH-GSF, near Port Jackson, NSW, 18 January 1970

The aircraft carried as passengers, eight parachutists, who were to drop into the sea near Queenscliff in connection with a surf carnival. The dropping run was to be on a south easterly heading with the aircraft crossing the coastline at the southern end of the Queenscliff Beach at a height of 10,000 feet. On reaching the dropping zone the aircraft began to climb from 2,000 feet and had reached a height of 9,700 feet as the dropping run commenced. The run was slightly to the left of that intended however, and the aircraft crossed the coast further north along the beach. The jumpmaster, who was taking part in the jump, requested the pilot to make a second run. At that moment, the aircraft engine began surging and vibrating and some light smoke was seen in the cockpit. The pilot instructed the parachutists to leave the aircraft and all eight jumped in succession and were recovered safely from the water. The windscreen became covered in oil and the pilot, who was also wearing a parachute, decided that a landing would be difficult, so he abandoned the aircraft at a height of 5,000 feet. He was rescued from the sea a short time later. The aircraft crashed at high speed into the sea and apart from a fuel tank and portion of a wing, was not recovered.
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