VH-GAH (3) Cessna
172B
(c/n 47853)
This nice pastoral setting was
at Canberra in March 1963. The Cessna 172B was owned by the
Goulburn Aero
Club at the time. Photo by Bob Neate.
The 172B had been imported by Rex
Aviation at Bankstown in
December 1960 as VH-REH. In February 1961 it was re-registered
VH-GMO for J.J. Parr of
Mundubbera, Qld. This was short-lived for it passed to de
Havilland
Aircraft Pty Ltd in May 1961
becoming VH-CYO. It was sold to Goulburn Aero Club on 7 Aug
1962. The above shot was taken at an air show and
unfortunately, when returning home from
that
event, (same day, 16 March 1963) and being flown by an 18 year-old
pilot with some 58
hours total time, it crashed
near Canberra after striking power lines while flying low down a river
bed. It would
appear that visibility was a problem and the pilot elected to follow
the river bed
but
forgot about the power pylons. There were two fatalitites, and
VH-GAH was struck off the
register the same day.