I was taught the same rule with slightly different phrasing: "Never press on in poor weather in the Highlands unless you can see the ridge after the ridge immediately ahead of you."

I grew up in TPNG and the Gray's were friends of my parents (1957) I was staying with them in Goroka when the Tiger moth accident happened. I was working for TAA in Goroka in 1967 and was at the "ples-balus" when the TALAIR baron flown by Oliver went almost vertical on takeoff before tail sliding into the coffe plantation next to the strip.

Thank you Sharpie for a most comprehensive, and sobering, list.

A couple of edits........

Although he was flying for the Catholic Mission, Vince was not a priest; just a bloke who loved PNG and loved flying. his wife perished with him.

In fact Gavin Craig survived, although one of his passengers perished during the night they spent on the Doma Peaks. the passenger was uninjured, and possibly died of old age.

Fly safe.

And what was the outcome??? I knew Pierre from around the traps and wouldnt mind knowing what happend...

Another edit for you Pete - Terry was landing - couldn't quite line up on the runway and an engine failed on the Go around. He was a VERY funny guy - had those Marty Feldman bug out eyes and a sense of humor that just broke you up.

There are well over 30 pilots on that list (+ 1 FA not on the list) that I knew well. Also think of the unrecorded multiple 100s CFIT/weather related accidents that occurred during wartime operations - just took off and were never seen again and no one went looking - many in bombers with large crew compliments. Apparently the maps were inaccurate and they thought the highest terrain was 10000' - from 10500' up in PNG is just strewn with wartime aircraft. There were still nearly 500 unaccounted for in the 90s.

Thanks Sharpie, for the chance to remember lost friends. A lot of good buddies on that list. Brought back memories of a time when we were all so carefree, drank heaps of SP and lived life to the fullest. It's gonna be a crowded bar when we all get together again. :ok:

I'll drink to that. Thanks Sharpie. I knew former RAF Wing Commander Harold Gibson-Lee who was involved in the Lockheed Hudson crash at Lae in 1950. He lost an engine soon after take off and being overloaded was unable to hold altitude and went in. Although badly burned he survived only to die after being informed of the fate of his passengers. He had flown Vickers Wellesley long range single engine light bombers in the RAF and after the war joined the Sydney Morning Herald Flying Services to fly Hudsons on newspaper deliveries in NSW.

A friend of mine passed away in 1990,
Is there a web site that includes the Lat/Long of crash sites in PNG?

1961 Mar G. Wallace Piaggio P166B -PAL Nr Kokoda Gap

Any of you PNG hands know if the wreckage was ever found? Was a good friend to this then teenager.

Thanks Sharpie.
Thats the first list I've ever seen, and quite probably the only time one has been published, certainly on a website?

Hmmm!
 

Thanks Sharpie: Well done.

Sobering! indeed it is:

Heres to becoming an old codger!

Chuckles, you say around 500 wrecks! above the 10000ft level? dont mean to drag the thread "off track", but any info to be had from where? very interested.

Rgds.
H/Snort:ok:

Start here Rupert

Pacific Wrecks - Papua New Guinea National Museum (PNG War Museum)

Sharpie.

Registration correction - Garth was flying VH-KRO, not KBO, Chimbu - Goroka.

I was very fortunate not to be on that aircraft.

Chimbu Chuckles
 

I tend to agree about wartime spot heights. Many years in the ols SPAC clubhouse was a wartime chart covering Pom - Oro Bay.

One intersting thing on the chart was the incorrect spot heights along the owen stanley's.

One in particular was Mt Kenevi on the direct track to Gurua, Buna and Gona.
Spot Height of 9,300 ft. The actual height was around 10,500 ft.

On a good day flying around 10.5 you could spot various aircraft types speared into the mountain below 10.5. A number of others were spotted during the search for Patair P166b. Mt Wilhelm also had a few scattered around the upper levels.

A logbook of missing aircraft that was kept in the old Jackson's Control Tower SAR room, was a sobering tome to peruse. There was way over 600 allied aircraft still missing, of which a large number would have of course perished due to enemy action, while many were cfit or water.

fly safe.

George Odgers wrote the two volume Official History of the RAAF in WW2. What I recall was the sobering number of times he mentions words to the effect that the crew were seen to be alive in their life raft after ditching in PNG waters... and never seen again.

In those days, SAR wasn't what it is today.

Another for the list....NCA's first fatalities in 15+ years operating to some of the more interesting strips in PNG.. ASN Aircraft accident IRMA/Britten-Norman BN-2A-20 Islander P2-ISA Bapi Airport (BPD)

29/4/00 Islander P2-ISA at Bapi. Crashed on takeoff killing the pilot (unfortunately I don't have his name as I had left PNG and we never met) and 3 passengers. Even the relatively easy strips can bite :(

Thanks Sharpie.

Several good friends on that list.

The number of Islander accidents is very disturbing to me as I have many hours on type. Obviously BN2s were a work horse and would have done much of the flying, particularly marginal strips.

Safer in a DHC8 well above MSA with an IFR approach into a decent airport.:(

That ASN list does not show the civil Caribou that was unsuccessfully dead sticked on a river killing the two on board. The F/O was a woman from Mackay,, Lavers. Have an idea the year was round 1990, give or take.



This it?
TW

Gavin and I shared a Talair donga in Hagen


Who could forget "The Grouper" and the many convivial ales?


Nearly got our Torres :ooh:
Ghost story about Garth regarding staff (orli) seeing a big red haired Talair pilot in TAL POM office? :eek:


Young Rob proudly showed me his new camera before taking off for what was his last flight. The other Rob was going on famil flight with him
They never found the camera.