Pitu – Merauke – Bamaga – Townsville

On September 18, 1945 at 12:00 AM, Pitu – Merauke – Bamaga – Townsville experienced a crash involving Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), operated by Royal Australian Air Force - RAAF, with the event recorded near Mt Puncak Jaya Special Region of Papua.

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

29 people were known to be on board, 29 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 6, crew fatalities: 6, passengers on board: 23, passenger fatalities: 23, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. While cruising in low visibility at an altitude of 14,200 feet, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located in the Carstensz Mountain Range. As it failed to arrive in Townsville, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. The missionary Jerry Reeder discovered the wreckage with his Cessna 206 in June 1967. He had rented a vacant house to the DeLong Lumber Company that was doing a hardwood lumber survey in the area. Their superintendent, Mike Cramer, upon hearing about his discovery of a downed aircraft immediately made their Bell Jet-Ranger helicopter available to visit the site. The first attempt had to be aborted due to weather and a partial engine failure. They nearly crashed twice. But the next day they were able to spend two hours on the ground. They gathered three sets of dog tags and the pilot\\\\\\'s chart case which were turned into to the Australian Embassy in Singapore a month later. On December 10, 1970, walkers found the wreckage on the slope of a mountain located near Mt Puncak Jaya, southwest of Mulia, some 100 feet from the summit. It was later decided between Indonesian and Australian authorities to repatriate all remains back to Australia. This exercise was completed from May 23 to June 6, 2005. Crew (33rd Squadron): W/O Arthur Jack Hunter, pilot, W/O Albert Clifford Hughes, copilot, F/Sgt Kenneth Robert Wiles, wireless operator, W/O Eric Wilkinson, wireless operator, F/Sgt Allan George Sawrey, Sgt Francis Leonard Henry Blackmore. Passengers: W/O Allan Campbell, LAC William Royce Dunderdale, F/O Noel Royce Stibbard, Sister Marie Eileen Craig, Pvt Keith John Bowden, Pvt Laurie Anthony Coombe, George Phillip Duffy, Trevor John Eiszele, Pvt Mervyn John Ford, Sgt Arthur John Hyde, Frederick Joseph Ireland, Lt Alun Morris Jones, Pvt Arthur Trevor Jorgensen, James Francis MacDougall, Ronald Leslie Mathieson, Jonathan Matthews, Pvt John McAlorum, Pvt Ian Scott McDowall, Pvt Leonard Thomas Oakley, Pvt Ian Thomas Ray, Pvt Donald William Smith, Pvt James Ivan Tindall, Cpl George John Welch. Thanks to Jerry Reeder for his testimony.

Aircraft reference details include registration A65-61, MSN 14554/25999, year of manufacture 1944.