Accidents and Incidents
- On the morning of 10 November 1944, a flight of seven Bristol Beaufighters from RAAF Base Williamtown simulated an attack on Evans Head airfield. Following the attack sequence as aircraft manoeuvered to regain their formation, the third Beaufighter collided with the leader. Both impacted shallow water inverted, approximately 14 miles (23 km) south of the airfield, killing all four crew members on the two aircraft. The remaining five Beaufighters aborted the mission, landing at Evans Head and the RAAF Marine Section was deployed to render assistance, although there were no survivors.
- On 29 September 1977 an F-111C of No. 6 Squadron RAAF was struck by several birds while on a training run at the Evans Head Air Weapons Range. The birds impacted the cockpit canopy and the aircraft was unable to make an emergency landing at the airfield. The two man crew ejected but were killed when the crew module impacted the ground. In a similar incident on 11 April 2008, another F-111 struck a pelican at the Evans Head range causing substantial damage to the nose of the aircraft and the failure of one engine. After an assessment of the damage the crew elected to return to RAAF Base Amberley rather landing at Evans Head.
Read more about this topic: Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome
Famous quotes containing the words accidents and/or incidents:
“Depression moods lead, almost invariably, to accidents. But, when they occur, our mood changes again, since the accident shows we can draw the world in our wake, and that we still retain some degree of power even when our spirits are low. A series of accidents creates a positively light-hearted state, out of consideration for this strange power.”
—Jean Baudrillard (b. 1929)
“An element of exaggeration clings to the popular judgment: great vices are made greater, great virtues greater also; interesting incidents are made more interesting, softer legends more soft.”
—Walter Bagehot (1826–1877)