No fatalities

Training Aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair After Hard Landing at Lovely Banks (VH-CTS)

Lovely Banks, AustraliaLanding (descent or approach)

On November 17, 1968, a De Havilland DH.104 Dove (registration VH-CTS) operated by City Centre Air Taxi Services was involved in an aviation accident near Lovely Banks, Australia during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The instructor had little recent experience on the aircraft type and when demonstrating a landing in turbulent crosswind conditions, he leveled off too high. The right wing dropped and aircraft landed heavily on one wheel while drift was still present. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

During a local training flight at Lovely Banks Aerodrome, the aircraft struck the ground with its right main gear after leveling off too high. Both occupants were uninjured, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair due to serious structural damage to the right wing.

Accident Details

The crew was performing a local training flight at Lovely Banks Aerodrome, located northwest of Geelong, Victoria. During the final segment of the flight, the aircraft leveled off at an excessive altitude and subsequently struck the ground with its right main gear. The right wing dropped, and the aircraft landed heavily on one wheel while drift was still present, resulting in structural damage.

Damage and Occupants

Both occupants were uninjured in the incident. However, the aircraft sustained serious structural damage to the right wing, including damage to the main spar and rearward displacement of the wing. As a result, the aircraft was later considered damaged beyond repair.

Probable Cause

The official investigation determined the probable cause: The instructor had little recent experience on the aircraft type, and when demonstrating a landing in turbulent crosswind conditions, he leveled off too high. The right wing dropped, and the aircraft landed heavily on one wheel while drift was still present. The main spar was damaged and a wing displaced rearwards.