Incident Overview
On 9 April 1955, a Royal Australian Air Force Lincoln bomber (registration A73-64) from 10 Squadron carried out an emergency medical evacuation flight from Townsville to Brisbane. The patient was Robyn Huxley, a two-day-old baby girl suffering from severe jaundice, accompanied by nurse Mafalda Gray. The crew comprised Wing Commander John Peter Costello (pilot), Squadron Leader Charles Surtees Mason (co-pilot), Squadron Leader John Watson Finlay (navigator), and Flight Lieutenant William George Stanley Cater (signaler).
Flight Details
The aircraft departed Garbutt airfield at 00:30 on Saturday, 9 April 1955. During the flight, it encountered cloud and rain as it approached southern Queensland. To ensure the baby's comfort, the aircraft flew at a relatively low altitude. At 04:05, the crew contacted Brisbane Air Traffic Control, reporting they were flying in cloud at 6,000 feet and expected to arrive in Brisbane in about ten minutes. They requested clearance to descend to 5,000 feet. ATC cleared them to descend to 5,000 feet and offered further descent to 4,000 feet for the approach to Eagle Farm airfield. Shortly afterward, ATC provided weather information and asked them to confirm visual acquisition of the town of Caboolture. No further radio transmissions were received from the Lincoln.
Off-Course and Crash
Later reports indicated that an aircraft, later identified as the Lincoln, was heard circling over the town of Bell at about 03:30. Bell is located approximately 18 miles northeast of Dalby, indicating the aircraft was significantly off course. The weather south of Bell was overcast with scattered rain. At 04:14, members of the Brisbane Bushwalking Club heard a large aircraft fly overhead, followed by the sound of impact and explosions. They estimated the aircraft had struck a nearby mountain in the Main Range region of the Border Ranges near Emu Vale. This was later confirmed to be Mount Superbus, the highest mountain in southern Queensland at 1,375 meters.
Search and Confirmation
A small group from the bushwalking club immediately traveled to Emu Vale to notify authorities. Five hours later, a Canberra bomber from Amberley airbase located the still-burning wreckage of Lincoln A73-64 just below the summit of Mount Superbus. Ground rescue crews were dispatched and quickly confirmed that there were no survivors.