5 fatalities

Training flight crash in Mount Druitt kills five (A34-65)

Mount Druitt, AustraliaFlight

On January 5, 1945, a De Havilland DH.84 Dragon (registration A34-65) operated by Royal Australian Air Force - RAAF was involved in an aviation accident near Mount Druitt, Australia in flight. 5 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The loss of control was caused by engine problems. 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 2026-08-05Data APIEditorial standards

A training aircraft departed RAAF Richmond and crashed in Mount Druitt, Sydney, after losing control during a dive. All five crew members on board were killed.

What happened

The incident occurred while the aircraft was conducting a training flight that had taken off from RAAF Richmond. During the operation, the pilot lost control of the airplane. The loss of control resulted in the aircraft entering a dive, which ultimately led to a crash in Mount Druitt, a suburb located within Sydney.

All five crew members aboard the aircraft were killed in the accident. The individuals on board included the pilot and four other personnel who were part of the training exercise.

Findings

Official investigations indicated that the loss of control was attributed to engine problems. These mechanical issues are cited as the primary factor leading to the crash.

Probable cause

The loss of control was caused by engine problems.