VH-EWL Fokker F.27-1131 Friendship

VH-EWL. Fokker F.27-1131 Friendship. c/n 10344.

This aircraft was ordered new by East-West Airlines - ?

First flown as 'PH-FLP' - November 03, 1967

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EWL - November 10, 1967

Registered to East-West Airlines Ltd, Tamworth

Departed Amsterdam (Schiphol) on the delivery flight to Australia - November 11, 1967

It arrived at Tamworth on completion of the delivery flight - November 19, 1967

The aircraft was named 'City of Albury'

It operated its first revenue service - December 07, 1967

Operated Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Coolangatta - Sydney services for T.A.A. - February to July, 1968

The aircraft was damaged beyond repair after crashing whilst landing at night at Bathurst Airport - May 31, 1974

The aircraft was operating the Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Orange - Bathurst - Sydney service

Flight crew: Captain F. H. Owen; F/O P. K. Power; Hostesses M. A. Love, A. Green

The flight crew and 30 passengers escaped major injuries

The aircraft slid for some 625 metres across the airport before coming to rest near an airport building

The rear fuselage was distorted in the initial impact and the starboard engine was torn off

Wind-sheer was cited as the cause - being the first recognised case to have occured in Australia

causing the loss of control by the pilots during landing

As the aircraft was written off the ownership was passed to the insurance company

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - October 11, 1974

The aircraft was moved and stored at Sydney (Bankstown)

The fuselage was donated to the Bankstown Airport Fire Department - 1983

It had flown 17,210 hours with 20,462 cycles

To read the ATSB report on this accident please click 'HERE'

PH-FLP. East-West Airlines - in the original livery at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, November 1967.

(E. D. Daw Collection Copyright Image 1999-393.)

VH-EWL. East-West - 'City of Albury' in the revised livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, November 1969.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1999-311.)

VH-EWL. East-West - 'City of Albury' in the experimental livery at Brisbane Airport, February 1971.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-911.)

VH-EWL. East-West - 'City of Albury' in the experimental livery at Tamworth Airport, date unknown.

VH-EWL. East-West - 'City of Albury' in the experimental livery at Brisbane Airport, February 1971.

VH-EWL. East-West - in the basic livery at Bathurst Airport, August 1974.

VH-EWL. East-West - the dismantled aircraft at Sydney Bankstown Airport, November 1974.

VH-EWL. East-West - the basic remains on the fire dump at Sydney Bankstown Airport, November 1983.