Avro 618 Ten

British Overseas Airways Corporation - BOAC

Crashed on take off for unknown reason. No casualties.

Transcontinental Airways

The three engine aircraft was returning to Sydney-Mascot following a sightseeing flight over the city of Sydney. On final approach, the aircraft was caught by strong winds and hit the ground short of runway. While all eight occupants were unhurt, the aircraft was destroyed.

Airlines of Australia

On landing, a gear failed and the aircraft christened 'City of Grafton' veered off runway and came to rest. While all eight occupants were unhurt, the three engine aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.

Imperial Airways

The crew was completing an international schedule service from Cologne to Croydon with an intermediate stop in Brussels. The aircraft departed Brussels-Haren Airport at 1220LT with eight passengers and two crew members on board. While overflying the West Flanders, the crew encountered poor visibility due to foggy conditions. Apparently lost, the crew deviated from the prescribed flight path by 15 km when the captain decided to reduce his altitude to establish a visual contact with the ground. At a height of about 250 feet, the airplane collided with a 270 metres high radio antenna. Upon impact, the right wing was torn off and the airplane crashed in an open field, bursting into flames. All 10 occupants were killed, among them seven British, two Dutch and one Polish.

Australian National Airways - ANA

Shortly after takeoff, the three engine airplane encountered difficulties to gain height. It stalled and crashed in a rice paddy field located past the runway end. All four occupants escaped with minor injuries and the airplane named 'Southern Sun' was damaged beyond repair. It departed Hobart and a mail flight to London with intermediate stops in Sydney and Alor Setar, carrying a load consisting of 52,000 Christmas' letters for a total weight of 1,500 kilos.

Australian National Airways - ANA

The three engine aircraft departed Sydney at 0810LT bound for Melbourne. En route, the crew encountered strong unfavorable winds and the weather conditions worsened with poor visibility. The aircraft named 'Southern Cloud' hit the slope of a mountain located in the Snowy Mountains, in the Kosciuszko National Park, west of Jindabyne. SAR were initiated but no trace of the aircraft nor the eight occupants were found, so all operations were eventually suspended. On 26 October 1958, more than 27 years later, Tom Sonter, a man aged 22, found the wreckage while on a walk in the bush. The crash occurred in a very inaccessible area. Crew: Travis W. Shortridge, pilot, Charles I. Dunnell, copilot. Passengers: Elsie May Glasgow, Clyde C. Hood, Hubert A. Farall, Julian Margules, William O’Reilly, Claire Stokes.