Propellor Fault Suspected
p. 81 · Read in the full issue
Drover Planes Grounded
THE Australian Department of Civil Aviation grounded all Drover planes in early August. In spection will be made for a sus pected fault in the threads of some of the propeller hubs.
The order affects Drover planes operating in Papua-New Guinea and the Northern Territory as well as in Australia.
The two operational mishaps to Drovers have occurred in New Guinea. In April, a Drover crashed and sank off Wewak, Northern New Guinea, and three men on it spent 10 hours in the open sea in a small rubber dinghy. The pilot of this plane, Captain C. R. Hibbert, said that the port propeller fell off before the crash.
Last year, another Drover plane awned by Qantas crashed into the sea off Lae and the pilot and five passengers were killed. The cause of this crash is not known.
The Drovers are made in Australia jy De Havilland and were designed for outback conditions. The pro pellers of all Drovers will be sent to Sydney for examination.