This big Piper was first registered in November 1966.     David Carter’s photo above shows it
                                   at Griffith in 1978 when it was based in Melbourne    . By August 29, 1981 it was being operated
                                   out of Tyabb, on the Mornington Peninsula   . It was chartered by three men from Swan Hill for
                                   a fishing trip to the Northern Territory.     After the first two pilots dropped out, a private pilot
                                   from Melbourne with limited experience and no instrument training agreed to take them.    He
                                   attempted to fly the last leg of what was already a long day’s flying, from Leigh Creek to Alice
                                   Springs, after dark.    The pilot became lost.     Amid the confusion over whether he was flying
                                   to the Alice Springs VOR or from it, he lost control.          -PON broke up in flight during the
                                   recovery attempt.     All on board were killed.