QANTAS Crash SitePrint Page
The monument marks the site of first crash of a QANTAS aeroplane in 1927.
On 24 March 1927 the DH9C G-AUED was on a regular route between Charleville and Mount Isa with Tambo as its secondary destination. It intended landing on the clay-pan that serves as Tambo’s airstrip when it was seen to dive suddenly into the ground. Mystery surrounds why the crash occurred but it was determined the aeroplane had landed at a nearby station to undertake repairs. The three men on board were buried at the Tambo cemetery.
After just over six years' operation during which over 450,000 miles have been flown without injury to either personnel or passengers, disaster befell one of the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service aeroplanes at Tambo this morning. The pilot, D. Davidson, of Richmond, and A. W. N. Bell, owner of Belmont Station Winton, who accompanied him as passenger, were killed, while the other passenger, J. Donaldson, manager of Rocklands Station, Camooweal, was so severely injured that he succumbed some hours after the accident. It was the pilot's first trip.
Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton), 25th March 1927.
Location
Address: | Dawson Development Road, Tambo, 4478 |
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State: | QLD |
Area: | AUS |
GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -24.876867 Long: 146.251964 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
Monument Type: | Monument |
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Monument Theme: | Disaster |
Sub-Theme: | Aviation |
Actual Event Start Date: | 24-March-1927 |
Actual Event End Date: | 24-March-1927 |
Dedication
Approx. Monument Dedication Date: | 2001 |
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In memory
This is the site of the QANTAS De Havilland DH9C G-AUED plane crash
24th March 1927
Three lives were lost
Ian Douglas Davidson (27 years) Pilot
William Robertson Donaldson (40)
Archibald Wallace North Bell (55)
They flew with courage through clear blue skies, to their date with death.
Now here they lie in a peaceful grave too young to die.
Neil Galway 2001