VH-CLU    Piper PA-31 Navajo                      (c/n  31-588)

                                     

                                        This Navajo, of Kendell Airways, is seen at the airline's base home at Wagga Wagga, NSW in
                                        1977 in this shot by Daniel Tanner.       It just creeps in for inclusion in my selections, being first
                                        registered in June 1970.      Robert Zweck's photo, below, was taken at Alice Springs in 1971
                                        when the aircraft was part of the Connellan Airways' fleet.     On the evening of 3 March 1982
                                        -CLU was operating a regular freight run from Dysart to Rockhampton, Qld.          It departed
                                        Rockhampton to return to Dysart at 02.22 hrs.  Upon reaching overhead at its destination some
                                        2 1/2 hours later it transpired that the  bloke destined to light the landing flares had overslept and
                                        consequently arrived at the airport at about the same time as -CLU.       Since these flares were
                                        consequently not lit when the Navajo arrived over Dysart,  it appears as if the pilot attempted  to
                                        land anyway, but was off the runway center by some 800 metros to the west.    The weather was
                                        overcast and raining at the time. The resultant crash killed the pilot and completely destroyed the
                                        the aircraft.    .