Cheviot Hills – Charters Towers

On October 20, 1953 at 12:00 AM, Cheviot Hills – Charters Towers experienced a crash involving De Havilland DH.84 Dragon, operated by Trans Australia Airlines - TAA, with the event recorded near Cheviot Hills Queensland.

The flight was categorized as ambulance and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

5 people were known to be on board, 2 fatalities were recorded, 3 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 40.0%.

Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 4, passenger fatalities: 1, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. Shortly after takeoff from Cheviot Hill Aerodrome, while climbing to a height of 50 feet, the aircraft nosed down and crashed. The pilot Captain Martin Garrett and a passegner, Mrs. Kathleen O'Leary were killed. The Doctor Mr. O'Leary was injured while two other passengers, Mrs. King Lethbridge and her child were uninjured. The aircraft was involved in an ambulance flight to Charter Towers on behalf of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Aircraft reference details include registration VH-URY, MSN 6082, year of manufacture 1934.