ANA Skymaster Amana Crash - Fate of Those Onboard

Fate of Those Onboard

The survivor was Edgar Forwood, 67-year old Managing-Director of Forwood Down and Company Ltd., a South Australian engineering company. He was the oldest person on board the flight, and probably the most experienced air traveller. He was interviewed by Police in hospital in Perth but was not aware of much detail about the final minutes of the flight. He said there was no sign of fire prior to the crash, and no announcement to passengers to fasten their seat belts. He died six days after the crash and was buried at the North Road cemetery in Adelaide, his home town.

Investigators believed the aircraft Captain survived for a short time after the crash. His body was a short distance away from his seat and both were a few metres ahead of the wreckage where they had been thrown after the nose of the aircraft was split open in the impact with a large tree. The seat belt had not broken but it had been undone. The Captain's tunic was pulled up over his head as though to protect his face from the heat of the nearby inferno. Investigators believed he survived the crash and undid his seat belt to drag himself away from the fire. His body was not burnt but autopsy showed both his legs were broken and he died from a fractured skull.

Post mortem examinations were performed on the 28 victims of the crash. The two co-pilots died from multiple injuries. Twenty-three passengers and the two air hostesses were found to have died from multiple injuries and burns, or incineration. Only 12 of the 28 victims were able to be formally identified. The remaining 16 victims were either unrecognisable or unable to be identified and were buried in a mass grave at Perth's Karrakatta cemetery.