Incident Overview
A crew of eight was conducting a local training mission departing from Richmond Air Force Base, New South Wales. During the flight, a fire erupted in the right engine nacelle. The crew obtained permission to return for an emergency landing, but the fire quickly spread to the engine and the right wing.
Wing Failure and Crash
Shortly after the fire spread, the right wing detached from the aircraft. The airplane became uncontrollable and crashed in a prairie. The impact totally destroyed the aircraft, and all eight crew members were killed.
Crew Information
The crew belonged to 11 Squadron and consisted of:
- Pilot: Squadron Leader Geoffrey Ronald Cullen
- Copilot: Pilot Officer George Ivan Holmes
- Navigator: Flight Lieutenant Robert Alfred De-Russett-Kydd
- Navigator: Flight Sergeant John Michael Rock
- Signaler: Squadron Leader Joseph Kevin McDonald
- Signaler: Flying Officer Frederick John Wood
- Signaler: Pilot Officer Terence Patrick O'Sullivan
- Signaler: Warrant Officer Vincent Joseph McCarthy
Official Findings
The probable cause of the accident was determined to be a fire in the port engine nacelle, caused by the disintegration of the power recovery turbine wheel (PRT) for the engine. This disintegration severed fuel lines inside the wheel well, and the escaping fuel ignited. The ensuing fire burned fiercely, and before the aircraft could enter an emergency landing pattern, the fire burned through to the wing, causing the wing to fail in-flight.