VH-ADT "R.M.A. Caronia"
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Type: L-14-H2 Super Electra
Msn: 1409
Previous Identities:
| 38 | Construction completed at Burbank. |
| 04JAN38 | Delivered to Northwest Airlines as NC17382. (Fleet Number 82). |
| APR39 | Sold to Continental Airlines, Denver, Colorado for $80,000. |
| 41 | Sold to W.R. Carpenter & Co., for their Sydney-Rabaul route. |
| 29APR41 | Arrived dismantled at W.R. Carpenter's hangar at Mascot (along with VH-ADS). |
| 08JUL41 | Test flown at Mascot. |
| 10JUL41 | Registered VH-ADT. |
| 08AUG41 | Registration application from W.R. Carpenter & Co., Sydney. |
| 41 | Entered service on W.R. Carpenter's Sydney-Rabaul service as "R.M.A. Caronia". |
| JAN42 | Participated in the evacuation of Wau. The aircraft was caught on the ground at Wau during one air raid but the pilot, Captain Clive Bernard, managed to become airborne and save the aircraft. |
| 30JAN42 | Ferried parts and engineers to Wau to repair the damaged VH-ADS. |
| MAR42 | Unserviceable at Mascot with engine problems. |
| JUL42 | The aircraft was based at Parafield on a four month charter to the USAAF, crewed and maintained by Carpenter's staff. |
| 02AUG42 | Returned to service after a CofA overhaul by Guinea Airways at Parafield. |
| AUG42 | A DCA report states that VH-ADT is under charter to the Department of Army for carrying vegetables and other freight from Adelaide to Sydney and Darwin and various inland centres. Military and civilian passengers are carried on the return flights but they are required to sit on the floor as there are no seats fitted. |
| 22AUG42 | Damaged at Batchelor, N.T. |
| 10SEP42 | Ferried to Parafield after temporary repairs to the rear fuselage. |
| DEC42 | The aircraft was still engaged on military charters. DCA were concerned about constant engine problems. |
| 16JAN43 | Carpenter's Senior Pilot, Capt K. Jackson, refused to take passengers Sydney-Brisbane because of the state of the engines. |
| FEB43 | After the arrival of a shipment of parts, the aircraft returned to service on the New Guinea run although flights operated to Port Moresby instead of Rabaul. |
| 16MAR43 | Carpenters suspended services to New Guinea. |
| 22MAR43 | Forced landing at Mascot with fuel problems while operating a charter to Ansett Airways. |
| 44 | Chartered by Australian National Airways. |
| 03JAN44 | Damaged at Archerfield when the wing tip struck the control tower. (Capt B. Carpenter). |
| 26FEB44 | Forced landing at Essendon due port engine failure 35 miles north while on scheduled flight to Sydney. Capt B. H. Carpenter, F/O J. Madsen and 10 passengers. A letter in the DCA file states that the aircraft is owned by W.R. Carpenter & Co. and operated by ANA. (NAA via G. Goodall) |
| 08JUL44 | Forced landing at Canberra. (Capt K. Jackson). |
| 21JUL44 | Forced landing at Mascot. (Capt J. Pollock). |
| 03AUG44 | Unscheduled landing at Mascot with oil spraying over port wing due over-filling of oil tank. Capt R. Myers and F/O R. Horlock. Aircraft owned by W.R. Carpenter & Co. and operated by ANA. (NAA via G. Goodall) |
| 44 | W.R. Carpenters sold their Sydney-Rabaul route to Qantas. The price (£44,000) included VH-ADT, six spares engines and other parts. |
| 25OCT44 | Change of ownership to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd. |
| 13NOV44 | Starboard undercarriage collapsed on landing at Mascot due to a cracked lower drag strut. (Capt K. Jackson and F/O Horlock, both ex Carpenters). |
| 28JAN45 | Landed at Mascot with the undercarriage unlocked due to hydraulic failure. On vacating the runway, the starboard undercarriage collapsed causing major damage to the wing. (Capt A. Myers). |
| FEB45 | The aircraft was operating Brisbane-Darwin twice weekly along with Electra VH-AEC. |
| 09APR45 | Unscheduled landing at Mascot due sticking throttle. Capt B. Carpenter and F/O R. Horlock. Was operating under charter to ANA. (NAA via G. Goodall) |
| 18APR45 | Unscheduled landing at Mascot with a rough running engine. Capt A.J. Myers and F/O N.D. Dunnett. Was operating Sydney-Brisbane under charter to ANA. (NAA via G. Goodall) |
| 24APR45 | Unscheduled landing at Mascot with a rough running engine. Capt B. Carpenter and F/O J. Madsen. Was operating Sydney-Melbourne under charter to ANA. (NAA via G. Goodall) |
| MAY45 | Leased to Australian National Airways for an unknown period. (Evidently this lease began earlier. See 9/18/24 April.) |
| 22JAN47 | Swung on take-off at Schofields, NSW. The aircraft left the runway and the port undercarriage collapsed after striking a log. The aeroplane was destroyed in the ensuing fire. (Capt K. Jackson not injured). |
| 02JAN48 | Struck off the Australian Register. |
| Issue | Date | Remarks |
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| 4 | 06MAR06 |
Added
references to several incidents. See 26FEB44, 03AUG44, 09APR45, 18APR45
& 24APR45.
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| 3 | 23OCT04 |
Added
a photo of the aircraft in Northwest livery thanks to David Bussey
of the Queensland Air Museum.
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| 2 | 23FEB04 |
Added
a photo of the wreckage at Schofields thanks to Chris O'Neill.
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| 1 | 18FEB00 |
Original
issue
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