Daly Waters – Alice Springs

On May 6, 1948 at 01:21 PM, Daly Waters – Alice Springs experienced a crash involving De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide, operated by Connellan Airways, with the event recorded near Daly Waters Northern Territory.

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

4 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 4 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

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

The listed crash cause is technical failure. Crashed one minute after its takeoff from Daly Waters while performing a delivery flight to Alice Springs with two crew and two ladies as passengers on board. After takeoff, during the initial climb, while at an altitude of 150 feet, both engines failed simultaneously. The captain elected to make an emergency landing in a prairie but at the last moment, the left engine regained power. The aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames. All four occupants were injured while the aircraft was destroyed.

Aircraft reference details include registration VH-BKM, MSN 6543, year of manufacture 1941.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -16.2610°, 133.3790°.