VH-ESM Cessna 206 Super
Skywagon
(c/n 206-0094)
Formerly N5094U, VH-ESM was four years old when it was registered to Es
(short for Esrom)
Morse,
the Flying Padre, who operated out of Longreach ministering to needs of
outback comm-
unities. David Carter saw it at Griffith in 1978 when it dropped
in for fuel at Jim Darbyshire’s
Cropair.
–ESM was officially withdrawn from use in November
1999. However this might
have been the
paperwork catching up with reality, for on April 12, 1987, it had been
badly
damaged when landing at Napunyah Station, Tilpa, in far western
NSW. The pilot had begun
to go around after kangaroos hopped on to the runway, then changed his
mind. –ESM landed
heavily,
the nose wheel dug in and the aircraft flipped on its back..