Wau – Lae

On March 21, 1957 at 12:00 AM, Wau – Lae experienced a crash involving Junkers JU.52, operated by Gibbes Sepik Airways, with the event recorded near Wau Morobe.

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

1 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 1 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

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

The listed crash cause is technical failure. GSA pilot Peter Manser was making a down-hill takeoff on the sloping strip, carrying a heavy load of sawn timber. Just before becoming airborne the port engine suddenly lost all power, causing the aircraft to swing violently to the left and roll towards the Qantas terminal building and freight shed. The Qantas agent Mrs. Ivy Crawford saw it approaching and ran through the passenger room out on to the airfield and jumped over an embankment as the aircraft struck the building. The port wing sliced through the wooden structure, the roof collapsing as the Junkers kept rolling on to a road, tearing off its rear fuselage before Manser could bring it to a stop. The fuselage was broken into three sections and 12 feet was smashed off the port wing. Source: http://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/junkers ju52/junkersju52.html

Aircraft reference details include registration VH-BUW, MSN 641375, year of manufacture 1943.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -7.3403°, 146.7173°.