VH-PAR Piper PA-24-250 Comanche
(c/n 24-1125)
A golfer's aircraft at
one time, perhaps? A 1959 model, this was first registered
VH-DMA
with Muir Airlines of
Darwin, NT in September 1959. It was damaged in a crash in October
1963 and, when rebuilt, emerged
as VH-PAR and then sold to Wilson Tuckey of Carnarvon,
WA, a hotel publican
and career Federal politician. When sold by Tuckey it was on its
delivery
flight to a new owner in Perth on
8 January 1970 when it had a midair collision while in the circuit
with VH-RWA, a Royal Aero Club of
WA Beech Musketeer. The Musketeer was able to land
but the
Comanche lost its starboard wing and
crashed, injuring the occupants. The shot above,
by Bob Neate, shows it at
Orange, NSW in November 1963, while Geoff Goodall's image (below)
shows the remains of it in
the DCA compound at Jandakot Airport, Perth soon after the accident.