Kookaburra (aircraft)
| Kookaburra | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Westland Widgeon |
| Construction number | WA1775 |
| Registration | G-AUKA |
| Owners and operators | Keith Anderson |
| Last flight | 10 April 1929 |
| Fate | Abandoned in the Tanami Desert until remains were recovered and preserved |
| Preserved at | The remains are on display at Alice Springs |
| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 10 April 1929 |
| Site | Tanami Desert, Australia |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Westland Widgeon |
| Registration | G-AUKA |
Kookaburra was a Westland Widgeon light aircraft registered G-AUKA.
When Sir Charles Kingsford Smith disappeared during the "Coffee Royal" Incident, Pilot Keith Anderson and mechanic Bob Hitchcock flew in Kookaburra to search for Kingsford Smith. They departed Richmond, New South Wales and headed for the north of Western Australia via Broken Hill, Maree, Oodnadatta and Alice Springs.
Kookaburra was forced to land in the Tanami desert on 10 April 1929 when the push rod on a valve on number two cylinder loosened, causing a loss of power. Hitchcock adjusted the push rod and they attempted to clear a runway, but were overcome by thirst and perished before they could clear one long enough to take off on. They were found on 21 April 1929 by Lester Brain (a founding pilot of Qantas) and long time friend S.R.L.(Len) Sheppard who flew a Sopwith Camel in the search effort.[1]
A ground party traveled from Wave Hill Station and buried the men where they lay. Due to a lack of water, the ground party did not have time to clear a runway and fly the aircraft out. After a public outcry for leaving the men in the desert, a second expedition with a Thornycroft truck returned to the site, exhumed the bodies to be buried in Sydney and Perth. Again, due to lack of water, a runway could not be cleared so the aircraft was left.
The aircraft was forgotten, as it was not economical to recover it. It was damaged by weather and fires and was accidentally discovered by Vern O'Brien, a surveyor traveling through the area in 1961. He did not ascertain an accurate location for the aircraft, as the Tanami is flat and featureless. Several expeditions searched for Kookaburra after 1961 to no avail.
Australian businessman, pilot and adventurer Dick Smith mounted an unsuccessful expedition in 1977, but searched again in 1978 and found the Kookaburra.[2][3]
The remains of Kookaburra were moved to Alice Springs Airport to a public display, and are currently at the Central Australian Aviation Museum.
References
- ↑ personal discussions with S.R.L. Sheppard 1999
- ↑ Dick Smith (1980). Kookaburra, the Most Compelling Story in Australia's Aviation History. Lansdowne Press. ISBN 978-0-7018-1357-4.
- ↑ GEO Magazine Vol 1, No 2, 1979, pages 112 to 131
External links
- Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
- Down Under: Travels in a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson. Chapter 17.
Coordinates: 23°42′8″S 133°51′51″E / 23.70222°S 133.86417°E