The James Clay accident

[Dora-9]

Cessna 320D VH-CPP crashed enroute Bankstown to Coolangatta in 1970 - I believe the aircraft was finally located in 1984. Is this correct? Does anyone have any details/the location please?

[tipsy2]

If you haven't already, have a read of this

http://atsb.gov.au/media/24814/197001306.pdf

Tipsy

[Dora-9]

Tipsy:

Thanks, I've read this - but when the report was published in 1972 the aircraft was still missing.

Griffo:

Ta, mate! The only reference I have to the discovery in 1984 is an OldFlier's Group lecture - see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K1YejTkV-E

But you might be remembering my story of visiting a house behind Murwillumbah around 1998 (we were looking to buy a property in the area then) and seeing some battered Cessna instruments on a shelf...

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

Hi Dora,

PM Sent.....
:ok:

[Magnetomick]

Have been to the crash site.Twas growing up in Lismore and made news for some time. A few kept searching for years. Was found by a forestry worker, thought it was a dumped car. Was called Hidden Valley or Lost Valley and was not searched per local rag Northern Star. Have some poor quality pics somewhere. Have seen a home made movie of persons sitting at controls. He was tracking where he should have been just not enough altitude, under cloud no doubt, like so many hit a tree, had he been 20-50 ft higher he would have made it over that hump, but had a few more in front of him to get to Coolie. The top of the tree he hit was lying next to the wreckage and a mound of soil where he went in hard. Flew over that exact spot at less than 100' many times in a Helo and pilot and I always use to say there's an aircraft down there somewhere. From the VH MDX thread old wrecks hard to visualise. With MDX someone will come across it one day.

North of Rocky Ck Dam near Whian Whian state forest. Travel to Minyon Falls take Peates Mtn Rd travel west , and just past the old Rd that goes to the former Fire Twr/Peates Mtn. Older hands may remember the old Peates Myn Fire Twr which may have been a visual reference.

The 1st track (no longer on topo's) to the west of Peates Mtn Yower rd ,which runs north off Peates Mtn Rd. The sites is just 100-200m or so in there.

Approx, I say again approx E152.21.995 S28.34.395 from memory (did.mm.mmm).
Mick.

[Dora-9]

Thank you, Mick.

[Fantome]

Mick . . ..have you gone to the 1937 Stinson crash site? My intention is to trek in from Christmas Creek side pretty soon.
Not that will be much to see. Just to pay a sort of homage.

[Edawggg]

Hey guys, I have been to Peates Mountain Fire Tower on Peates mountain track (runs parallel to peates mountain road)... but can't seem to understand where the location is?

Could anyone give me a more accurate detail?

Thanks

[aroa]

Was it ever thus. Pushonitis.

[Magnetomick]

Hey guys, I have been to Peates Mountain Fire Tower on Peates mountain track (runs parallel to peates mountain road)... but can't seem to understand where the location is?

Could anyone give me a more accurate detail?

ThanksYou need to travel west from the road that goes to the lookout and the wreck is/was on a track that runs north off the main track

[Edawggg]

From my understanding, you don't turn left to go towards the fire lookout but continue on Peates Mountain Road for a little bit and then there is a track that runs north off Peates Mountain Road? (how far roughly past the fire lookout turn off is the track heading north?)

Cheers

[sundaun]

Edawgggg, check PMs

[sundaun]

VH-CPP
A year ago I conversed with a Ranger at Wian Wian and she knew of the wreck and advised I needed a horse or Trail bike to access the site. She later advised the wreckage had been buried and she had difficulty locating the site. I don’t think I was being misled or fobbed off because of restrictions on private roads. This one may be lost permanently.

[MagnumPI]

I live not too far from the accident area. A couple of months ago I stumbled on this thread and decided to go for a look myself.

I walked the entirety of Peates Mountain track and then turned left at the end as described above. From the fire trail, I decided to literally bash my way through the scrub on what looked like an old trail, and spent several hours looking for any wreckage.

It is very rough scrub. So thick that I got lost. I really should have had a machete or something with me.

I did find an area in the middle of the bush that had those streamer things around, but for all I know there could be a completely different reason for them being there.

If there are any remnants of the wreckage there you would need a guide with very precise coordinates to take you to them. I’ll probably have another go later this year if I’m bored, but will be better prepared.

[arrowjock]

MagnumPI,
Please let us know how you go finding the CPP wrecksite.

Arrowjock