Brisbane – Mount Isa – Darwin

On February 20, 1942 at 08:30 AM, Brisbane – Mount Isa – Darwin experienced a crash involving De Havilland DH.86 Express, operated by Qantas Airways - Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services, with the event recorded near Brisbane Queensland.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a plain, valley crash site.

9 people were known to be on board, 9 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 7, passenger fatalities: 7, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The aircraft was late and departed Brisbane-Archerfield with two hours delay. Shortly after take off, while climbing, the four engine aircraft went through a cloudy area with rain falls. It went out of control, plunged into the earth and crashed in a wooded area located in Belmont (Mount Petrie), some 13 km south of the airport. All nine occupants were killed. Crew: Cpt Charles Henry Cecil Swaffield, C/O Lindsay Stuart Marshall. Source and Photos: http://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/qld115.htm

Aircraft reference details include registration VH-USE, MSN 2309, year of manufacture 1935.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -27.4809°, 153.0337°.