Lae – Wau

On July 14, 1947 at 12:00 AM, Lae – Wau experienced a crash involving De Havilland DH.84 Dragon, operated by Qantas Airways - Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services, with the event recorded near Zenag Morobe.

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

3 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 3 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: 2, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. Forced landing in trees in rugged terrain near the head of the Wampit River. Captain Ross K. Crabbe was en route from Lae to Wau with cases of supplies and two Australian passengers. Became trapped in a narrowing valley with low cloud base, deliberately put the aircraft into the spreading top branches of a tree. Crabb was hurled out of the cockpit through the nose and down to a ravine 36 meters below, injuring his back. The Dragon remained wedged in the top of the tree and his calls to the passengers were unanswered. A group of native hunters heard the crash and reported it to a nearby Government station. Two medical assistants were led to the scene, climbed the tree in the dark and administered morphine to the injured passengers and stayed with them for the night. The aircraft fabric was tearing as it moved and settled in the tree. Next day a team with a doctor arrived and the passengers were lowered in baskets. One seriously injured passenger was flown to Sydney by QEA DC-3 for plastic surgery for facial injuries. Source and photo: http://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/dh84-pt2/dh84-dragon-pt2.htm

Aircraft reference details include registration VH-BAF, MSN 2027, year of manufacture 1943.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -6.9480°, 146.5985°.