Tablelands – Derby

On February 4, 1956 at 07:00 PM, Tablelands – Derby experienced a crash involving Avro 652 Anson, operated by MacRobertson Miller Airlines, with the event recorded near King Leopold Ranges Northern Territory.

The flight was categorized as ambulance and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

5 people were known to be on board, 5 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

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

The listed crash cause is weather. The aircraft was performing an ambulance flight from Tablelands to Derby, carrying a young ill child, his father, two nurses and one pilot on behalf of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Enroute, weather conditions worsened and the pilot encountered thunderstorm activity with turbulences when control was lost. The aircraft crashed on the Hawkstone Peak located in the King Leopold Ranges. As the airplane failed to arrive in Derby, SAR operations were conducted but the wreckage was found three weeks later only. All five occupants were killed. Crew: Cpt Pieter van Emmerick. Passengers: Sister Frances Day, nurse, Sister Helen Newman, nurse, one patient and his father.

Aircraft reference details include registration VH-MMG.