1 fatality

Single-engine training flight crashes into residence near Melbourne (VH-UII)

Melbourne, AustraliaFlight

On May 16, 1936, a De Havilland DH.60 Moth (registration VH-UII) operated by Holyman's Airways was involved in an aviation accident near Melbourne, Australia in flight. One person was killed. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 2 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 local training flight from Essendon Airport struck infrastructure and a house in East Oakleigh, resulting in the death of the pilot.

What happened

The incident involved a single-engine aircraft operating out of Essendon Airport. The pilot was conducting a local training exercise when the plane was cruising at low altitude over the suburb of East Oakleigh, located near Mount Waverley in Melbourne.

During this phase of flight, the aircraft made contact with telephone wires and subsequently struck a chimney. Following these impacts, the plane crashed directly onto a residential house. The impact caused the airframe to burst into flames immediately upon striking the structure.

Findings

The crash resulted in one fatality, as the pilot did not survive the accident. No injuries were reported among individuals on the ground at the time of the impact.