Former Spitfire pilot in collision over Sydney performs emergency landing

Antipodean Andy · Dec 18, 2008

Mr Andrews is certainly an excellent pilot!

World War II flying ace survives mid-air collision over Sydney | The Australian

AN 89-year-old World War II flying ace has survived a mid-air collision that sent a second plane hurtling into a suburban house in Sydney yesterday, killing the two women on board.

Ex-RAAF squadron leader Ken Andrews managed a "miracle" landing of his Liberty XL2 training plane, after it collided with another training aircraft on approach to Sydney's Bankstown airport. Mr Andrews was instructing a 25-year-old student pilot from Sydney Flight Training Centre when his plane and a Cessna 152 collided as they approached a traffic control reporting point.

Mr Andrews called a "mayday" and managed to land the single-engine aircraft safely. But the women pilots - a student and an instructor from Basair Aviation College - died when the tail of their aircraft appeared to snap and the aircraft plunged into the back of a newly built house in Casula in Sydney's southwest. Flight instructor Joanne Ethell, who is believed to have died, had been with the college for about three months. "She was a happy and friendly girl, well-liked," one student at the college said.

Also believed to have died was Chandrika Gaur, 18, the daughter of Indian doctors.

Ms Ethell, a mother of two who recently married a man with two children of his own, grew up in Lismore, in northern NSW, where she attended St Johns College Woodlawn.

Friends said they understood Ms Ethell, who was in her 20s, had been flying in the Hunter Valley prior to moving to Sydney earlier this year.

"Her grandfather was an aviator and her dad certainly was and she was the absolute delight of her father. I don't know what he's going to do," Bill Keirnan, at Northern Rivers Aero Club, told one Sydney newspaper.

An Airservices Australia aircraft tracking website suggested the XL2 was above the Cessna before they collided at 451m. But it is understood that Mr Andrews told police that he was below the other plane at the time of the collision.

The house was empty when the Cessna destroyed the rear of the building as homeowner Bianca Condina had taken her eight-day-old son, Aidan, to visit Santa at the Liverpool Westfield shopping mall.

Her father, Gino Valerio, expressed his relief that she was not in the house. "I feel blessed," he said. "She took the baby for a photo with Santa Claus."

He said Ms Condina and the baby normally spent most of their time in the kitchen, which is attached to the patio demolished by the plane.
Mr Andrews was a pilot in New Guinea during World War II and later served with one of two flying units with 78 Fighter Wing RAAF in Malta. He became one of the RAAF's most experienced instructors at Point Cook, Victoria, and has remained an active pilot.

The former chief of the air staff, Jake Newham, last night described Mr Andrews as "probably the most experienced flying instructor in Australia".

"He was a vastly experienced and highly reliable pilot when I knew him and he served as the commander of the central flying school at Sale," Air Marshal Newham said. "He would probably have more flying hours than anyone else alive. I am not aware of Ken ever having an accident."

Another aviation source said Mr Andrews was "as sharp as a tack" and said he was an active participant at Bankstown.

"He's been flying forever, essentially," the source said. "But there's no question about him not being suitable to do the work."

Pilots over 65 must do a six-monthly proficiency test as well as an annual medical, according to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. CASA can also call on older pilots to do additional tests.

As he left the college yesterday, Mr Andrews said: "I am a delegate of CASA."

Long-time friend and fellow flying instructor, Ces Sly, who served alongside Mr Andrews in World War II in Malta, insisted Mr Andrews was a "competent" pilot. "I can assure you that if he could have avoided it he would have done it because he is so experienced and such a good instructor," he said. "I imagine somehow they got caught out because they couldn't see each other.

"Usually the instructor's game is safety, they don't fly if they can't fly safe."

Mr Andrews was last night resting at his home in Gladesville in Sydney's inner west. His son Warren said his father wished to pass on his condolences to the families of the victims. He said his father had made a statement to police. "My father doesn't wish to comment at this stage as the accident will no doubt be the subject of a coronial enquiry."

Mr Andrews has more than 40 years' experience as a both a civil and RAAF flight instructor and examiner. When asked how his father managed to land the plane, Warren said "carefully". "It was a matter of assessing the damage and taking appropriate action and as a result the aircraft was brought down safely."

Described on aviation blogs as "Albert Einstein in a Spitfire"', the octogenarian flying ace, who served in WWII as a fighter pilot and in Korea as a squadron commander, was reported as saying he would take a break before getting back in the cockpit.

"After such a tragedy when two people have died he'll need a bit of time to overcome today's events," Warren said.

The Cessna was registered in July 1979 and the Liberty XL2 was registered in July.

Witness Carlos Card, 11, from nearby Prestons, rode his bike to the crash site after seeing the plane come down low over nearby trees. "I saw one plane going to Bankstown airport and another going over the trees," Carlos said. "It was really low and coming down fast. I knew it was serious straightaway because there's no airport around here."

Helene Agamalis, 15, who lives nearby, was enjoying a swim in her pool when she heard the planes overheard. "We didn't think anything of it, then we hear a loud bang," she said. "We looked up and we saw one of the planes just headfirst spinning down.

"We thought it was heading for us because it was about 150 metres away."

NSW police Assistant Commissioner Frank Menelli described the scene of the crash as "mangled" and said forensic officers and air crash investigators would examine the site.

The bodies of the two women were last night taken to a morgue for a post mortem.

"Both planes were in the air at the time and it's a miracle the other plane was able to land," Mr Menelli said.
Click to expand...

Kyt · Dec 18, 2008

Incredible that he is still an instructor at that age. Good to hear that he made a safe landing.

Just one thing - 78 Fighter Wing was not in Malta - it was in the Far East

78 Wing was established in 1943 at Townsville, Queensland, and operated Kittyhawk fighters in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. Comprising Nos. 75, 78 and 80 Squadrons, it formed the fighter contingent of No. 10 Operational Group (renamed First Tactical Air Force in October 1944) along with No. 81 Wing.78 Wing took part in Operation Reckless, the assault on Hollandia and Aitape, New Guinea, in April 1944.[2] By the middle of the year, the Wing's rate of effort in New Guinea operations was consistently higher than its counterparts in the US Fifth Air Force.
Click to expand...

It did serve in Malta after the war.

And:

AWM Collection Record: MALTA0228 - Three members of 78 Fighter Wing RAAF at their base in Malta with two visitors. Identified left to right: Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr) John 'Bay' Adams DFC, AFC, leader of 76 Squadron RAAF; and Sqn ...

Three members of 78 Fighter Wing RAAF at their base in Malta with two visitors. Identified left to right: Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr) John 'Bay' Adams DFC, AFC, leader of 76 Squadron RAAF; and Sqn Ldr Ken Andrews, Commanding Officer of 75 Squadron RAAF; Group Captain H J Maguire DSO, OBE of RAF Headquarters, Malta; Wing Commander Brian Eaton DSO and bar, DFC, Commanding Officer of the Wing; General Ramstiom, chief of training in the Swedish Air Force, the fourth largest in the world; unidentified; unidentified.

AWM Collection Record: MALTA0680 - Pilots from 78 Fighter Wing RAAF on the tarmac at the RAF base in Norfolk. They were about to take off on a rehearsal flight for their role in the RAF Royal Review air pageant. Identified left ...

Pilots from 78 Fighter Wing RAAF on the tarmac at the RAF base in Norfolk. They were about to take off on a rehearsal flight for their role in the RAF Royal Review air pageant. Identified left to right (standing): Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Stuart 'Brick' Bradford DFC of Mosman, NSW; Flt Lt Bill Horsman DFC of Strathfield, NSW; Flt Lt Geoff Thornton DFM, AFM of Mildura, Vic; Flying Officer (FO) Bob Hunt DFC of Brisbane, Qld; FO Reg Jones of North Sydney, NSW; Pilot Officer (PO) Keith Meggs DFM of Preston, Vic; PO Vic Oborn DFM of Mont Albert, Vic; PO Cecil Sly DFM of Brisbane, Qld; PO Barry Weymouth of Essendon, Vic. Kneeling: FO Les Reading DFC of Cunderdin, WA; Squadron Leader Ken Andrews of Bronte, NSW; PO John 'Jake' Jacobs of Warwick, Qld; and PO Vern Pennefather of Launceston, Tas.

Antipodean Andy · Dec 18, 2008

I agree re Malta as remembered something about post-war RAAF there which was supported by this:

Mr Andrews was a pilot in New Guinea during World War II and later served with one of two flying units with 78 Fighter Wing RAAF in Malta. He became one of the RAAF's most experienced instructors at Point Cook, Victoria, and has remained an active pilot.
Click to expand...

But the writer got a bit mucked up with this:

Long-time friend and fellow flying instructor, Ces Sly, who served alongside Mr Andrews in World War II in Malta
Click to expand...

Meant to comment but something shiney distracted me. :becky:

Antipodean Andy · Dec 18, 2008

A well known name and one that Owen might be able to elaborate on:

Keith Meggs DFM of Preston, Vic
Click to expand...

Keith Meggs; Australian Aviation Historian

Kyt · Dec 19, 2008

I'm going to have to dig out that book on the Australians on Malta. Not an easy task as I have no idea where it is :frusty:

liverpool annie · Dec 19, 2008

Thought you might be interested in what others thought about him !!

Flying Experience with Ken Andrews [Archive] - PPRuNe Forums

Antipodean Andy · Dec 21, 2008

I'm going to have to dig out that book on the Australians on Malta.
Click to expand...

Which book is that, Kyt?

John · Dec 22, 2008

89 year old Ken Andrews said he will be flying again this week. He sure has guts going up so soon after such a tragic accident
:clapping:

ABMM · Jan 2, 2009

I was just talking to my uncle about Ken Andrews the other day. My uncle's a domestic airline pilot and he thinks the world of Ken, having been one of his students. It was a tragic accident, but experience won out in preventing two aircraft crashing that day.

spidge · Jan 2, 2009

John said: ↑

89 year old Ken Andrews said he will be flying again this week. He sure has guts going up so soon after such a tragic accident
:clapping:
Click to expand...

That seems to be the type of man he is!

Log in or Sign up

Former Spitfire pilot in collision over Sydney performs emergency landing

Antipodean Andy New Member

Kyt Άρης

Antipodean Andy New Member

Antipodean Andy New Member

Kyt Άρης

liverpool annie New Member

Antipodean Andy New Member

John Active Member

ABMM New Member

spidge Active Member

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

Former Spitfire pilot in collision over Sydney performs emergency landing

Thread Tools

Antipodean Andy New Member

Kyt Άρης

Antipodean Andy New Member

Antipodean Andy New Member

Kyt Άρης

liverpool annie New Member

Antipodean Andy New Member

John Active Member

ABMM New Member

spidge Active Member

Share This Page

Useful Searches