07/03/2025
Wreckage of the ๐๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ช๐ถ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐บ๐๐ผ๐๐ป, on beach north of Newcastle. Possibly the RAAF incident described in this 1955 newspaper article - tbc:
An R.A.A.F. pilot was killed when he attempted a forced landing in a Meteor jet aircraft on a beach four miles north of Newcastle today.
The plane bucked forward onto its nose when it touched the sand, somersaulted, and exploded. Pieces of wreckage were scattered over a large area.
The pilot of the aircraft was Flying Officer Eric I. Haywood, 25, of Oliver Street, Harbord, a Sydney suburb.
The Meteor was from 77 Squadron, based at Williamtown.
Haywood radioed the Williamtown control tower that he was in trouble soon after he left the airfield.
The plane crashed almost immediately after the distress call was sent.
Searching aircraft located the plane and radioed the position to ground parties.
Rescuers traveled over rugged country by jeep and blitz wagons to reach the plane.
The ground party, which consisted of ambulancemen and mechanics, battled through rough terrain on foot after leaving their vehicles to reach the isolated beach.
Haywood apparently had no chance of escaping from the falling aircraft.
Mechanics who studied the wreckage could not find any reason for the crash.
The plane was from the famous 77 Fighter Squadron.
An Air Force guard was mounted over the wreckage, and an immediate inquiry into the cause of the crash was ordered.
Flying Officer Haywood was apparently attempting a "wheels-up" landing when the plane somersaulted.
The impact smashed the wings of the aircraft and hurled the two engines in opposite directions.
Huge sheets of aluminium were ripped from the fuselage, and the body of the plane was smashed almost beyond recognition.
Haywood's body was slumped forward in the mangled cockpit, and his face was being lapped by water.Photo: Sam Hood Collection, NSW State Library.
Dedicated to the stories of Newcastle, Australia. This is the companion page to the Lost Newcastle group.
