No fatalities

Single-engine aircraft hard landing at Wau Airport (VH-ULJ)

Wau, Papua New GuineaLanding (descent or approach)

On September 7, 1941, a De Havilland DH.60 Moth (registration VH-ULJ) operated by Guinea Airways was involved in an aviation accident near Wau, Papua New Guinea during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The accident was caused by a hard landing of the single-engine aircraft. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-08-04Data APIEditorial standards

A single-engine airplane experienced a hard landing at Wau Airport for unknown reasons, resulting in significant structural damage to the rear fuselage while the pilot remained uninjured.

What happened

An incident occurred involving a single-engine aircraft operating out of Wau Airport. During the approach and landing phase, the airplane touched down with excessive force, resulting in a hard landing. The specific reasons behind this event are not currently known. Following the impact, an inspection revealed that the airframe had sustained significant structural damage. Specifically, cracks were identified in the rear fuselage spars. Due to the extent of this damage, the aircraft was declared beyond repair and written off. Despite the severity of the airframe damage, the pilot emerged from the incident without sustaining any injuries.

Findings

The official investigation concluded that the primary factor leading to the accident was the hard landing. No other contributing factors or mechanical failures were cited in the available findings.

Probable cause

The accident was caused by a hard landing of the single-engine aircraft.