CRASH OF A P-39 AIRACOBRA
AT BANKSTOWN AIRFIELD, NSW
24 FEBRUARY 1943

At 2120 hrs on the 24 February 1943, P-39 Airacobra, A53-3, #41-7157, of 24 Squadron RAAF drifted off the flare path and crashed into the Stop Butts Mound at Bankstown after an engine failure while taking off at night for a night flying training flight. It was written off. The pilot, Sergeant Dave H. Harrison (405734), was slightly injured in this crash. 

The aircraft swung during the take-off, the aircraft became airborne, but it was held down too long and the undercarriage struck the gun butts situated to the right of the flare path and crashed about 200 yards ahead.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I'd like to thank Rick Hanning for his assistance with this page.

I'd also like to thank Lex Dwyer for his assistance with this web page. Lex rang me on 15 July 2005 for an interesting discussion about his time in the RAAF during WW2.

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 10 June 2001

This page last updated 27 January 2020