Wessex830(FAAM)


Wessex830UnderBridge(FAAMN7-220 Aircraft History:

  • First Flight 09/05/63. 
  • 22 June 1978. Damaged when it landed on a steel post atop Pigeon House Mtn. Aircraft transported to NAS underneath a Chinook and repaired.
  • 3 November 1985 Whilst conducting a winching demonstration at the annual Shoalhaven Spring Festival the aircraft suffered an engine failure and made a heavy forced landing into a paddock at Shoalhaven Heads 7nm from RANAS Nowra. Crew Lt(P) G Sydney RAN POACM Culley & LSATWL Fields. Fields injured in crash. 
  • Withdrawn 31 December 1989. 
  • Stored at Nowra and scrapped.

 

 


 

830PigeonHouse2

Above: Wessex 830 22Jun78. The aircraft was on a local area recce. and landed atop Pigeon House Mountain. Unfortunately the crew did not see a steel post had been cemented into the centre of the landing spot, and the aircraft impaled itself.  Upon take off a massive fuel leak was detected and an emergency landing was made in a nearby clearing.  The aircraft was returned to NAS Nowra as a Chinook underslung load and subsequently repaired.  Cartoon: Marcus Peake. 

Wessex30Recovery1

Wessex30Recovery2

Above: Not quite how the aircrew had planned the return trip!  A Chinook lifts the stricken Wessex back to Nowra. (Photo: John Bartels)

Left:  Waiting for the Chinook to arrive. 

 


Below: Wessex 830 in a paddock about 7nm from Nowra after a forced landing, Nov 98.  Damage was relatively light and aircraft was repaired.  (RAN image)

Wessex830Nov85

Below: An image of 830’s panel: of no particular significance to the accident, but it gives a good impression of how spartan the Wessex instrumentation and controls were.  The panel remained essentially remained the same for the entire 27 years of the aircraft’s service.  (RAN image)

Wessex830Cockpit1_03Nov85


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