Maroochy air crash

Maroochy air crash
	wreckage of A20-212
Occurrence
Date	30 December 1950
Summary	Beach air crash
Site	Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia
Aircraft
Aircraft type	CAC Wirraway
Operator	Royal Australian Air Force
Registration	A20-212
Flight origin	Redcliffe, Queensland
Destination	Noosa, Queensland
Passengers	0
Crew	2
Fatalities	3 (on beach)
Injuries	14 (on beach)
Survivors	2 (flight crew)

The Maroochy air crash was an aircraft accident that occurred at 11.10am on 30 December 1950 at Maroochydore beach, Queensland, Australia. Three children were killed and fourteen others were seriously injured as a result of the accident.^[1]^[2]

CAC Wirraway Serial Number A20-212 of the Royal Australian Air Force had been circling between Maroochydore and Alexandra Headland during a routine shark patrol when it suddenly banked steeply and crashed onto the crowded beach in front of the Maroochydore Surf Life Saving Club. The pilot and his observer survived the crash.^[3]^[4]

Cause[edit]

Two coronial inquiries failed to attribute any blame for the crash. In 2013, a Queensland coroner overturned the findings of previous inquiries and ruled it was pilot error that caused the crash, siting his use of an unsuitable aircraft, which was known to stall at low speeds, and lack of training in surf patrol duties.^[5]

Memorials[edit]

On 9 March 2013, a 2.4-metre 'Maroochy Air Crash Memorial' was erected at the site in memory of those killed and injured.^[6]

References[edit]

^ Patrick Williams (29 December 2010). "Site marks plane crash". Sunshine Coast Daily. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
^ "3 die in beach crash". The Sunday Mail. 31 December 1950. p. 1. Retrieved 17 March 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Deaths at Maroochy". Brisbane Telegraph. 30 December 1950. p. 1. Retrieved 17 March 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Plane crashes into crowd on beach". The Sunday Herald. 31 December 1950. pp. 1, 4. Retrieved 17 March 2024 – via Trove.
^ Marissa Calligeros (6 November 2013). "1950 Maroochydore beach plane crash: Pilot error blamed for deaths". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
^ Mark Bode (31 December 2010). "Shirley remembers losing brother". Sunshine Coast Daily. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2024.

External links[edit]

26°39.533′S 153°06.195′E / 26.658883°S 153.103250°E / -26.658883; 153.103250

[1] Patrick Williams (29 December 2010). "Site marks plane crash". Sunshine Coast Daily. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2024.

[2] "3 die in beach crash". The Sunday Mail. 31 December 1950. p. 1. Retrieved 17 March 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[3] "Deaths at Maroochy". Brisbane Telegraph. 30 December 1950. p. 1. Retrieved 17 March 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[4] "Plane crashes into crowd on beach". The Sunday Herald. 31 December 1950. pp. 1, 4. Retrieved 17 March 2024 – via Trove.

[5] Marissa Calligeros (6 November 2013). "1950 Maroochydore beach plane crash: Pilot error blamed for deaths". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2024.

[6] Mark Bode (31 December 2010). "Shirley remembers losing brother". Sunshine Coast Daily. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2024.

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v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in Australia
1930s	Avro Ten Southern Cloud disappearance (1931) Kimberley rescue (1932) Airlines of Australia Stinson crash (1937) Kyeema crash (1938)
1940s	Brocklesby mid-air collision (1940) Canberra air disaster (1940) Little Eva (1942) KNILM Douglas DC-3 shootdown (1942) Bakers Creek air crash (1943) Rewan air crash (1943) Canal Creek air crash (1943) Australian National Airways Stinson crash (1945) Australian National Airways DC-3 crash (1946) Australian National Airways DC-3 crash (1948) MacRobertson Miller Aviation DC-3 crash (1949) Queensland Airlines Lockheed Lodestar crash (1949)
1950s	Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash (1950) Maroochy air crash (1950)
1960s	Trans Australia Airlines Flight 408 (1960) Trans Australia Airlines Flight 538 (1960) Ansett-ANA Flight 325 (1961) Ansett-ANA Flight 149 (1966) MacRobertson Miller Airlines Flight 1750 (1968)
1970s	Ansett Australia Flight 232 (1972) Connellan air disaster (1977) Disappearance of Frederick Valentich (1978) Cessna 188 Pacific rescue (1978)
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