Incident Overview
A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Bristol Freighter, registration A65-106, crashed shortly after departing from RAAF Base Pearce in Western Australia. The aircraft was supporting NASA's Project Mercury by calibrating the Muchea Tracking Station, a mobile facility that was part of the global space tracking network.
Flight Details
The crew had been traveling to multiple locations across Australia for NASA tasks. Earlier in the day, they intended to return to their home base at RAAF Edinburgh in South Australia, but the calibration work was delayed due to technical difficulties at Muchea. As a mobile tracking station, Muchea was less electronically stable than fixed installations, causing the postponement.
Departure and Crash
A65-106 eventually departed from Runway 18 at RAAF Base Pearce after dusk during passing rain showers. During the initial climb, the aircraft crashed a few kilometers from the airfield. The impact destroyed the aircraft.
Occupants
The four crew members on board were all killed: Pilot Flying Officer W. J. Bowden, Co-pilot Flight Sergeant P. F. Davis, Navigator Flying Officer R. G. White, and Signaller Flight Lieutenant A. J. Cook. The three passengers were injured: Leading Aircraftman R. A. Leiper, Leading Aircraftman W. Miles, and Mr. N. A. McBain.
Aftermath
The crash occurred while the aircraft was supporting a critical NASA mission. The Muchea Tracking Station was one of several stations used to track the Mercury spacecraft. No probable cause for the crash has been stated in available records.