VH-UNB de Havilland D.H.60M Moth
(c/n 1408)
This aircraft was first
registered to
Qantas on 22 December 1929. It seems that shortly after they
acquired it,
the aircraft was being piloted by Captain Lester Brain
when he evidently ran into mech-
anical
problems. An emergency
landing was made in a paddock at
Farnborough, near Yeppoon,
Queensland. The above image, from
the John Oxley Library, State Library
of Queensland collection
shows it shortly
after that landing had been
accomplished. On 8 March 1930 ownership of the air-
craft was
transferred to a Mr A.E. Johnson of
Yeppoon. Was the machine repaired by Qantas and
flown out, only
to return to Yeppoon or did Mr. Johnson buy it "as is"? Can
someone clarify the
sequence
of events? Sadly, a month after that title transfer,
on 24 April 1930, VH-UNB crashed
and burned at Ayr,
Queensland. Whether Mr. Johnson was flying it at that time,
or what injuries/
fatalities were
sustained I have not established. In any event, the
aircraft was a complete write off.