CRASH OF AN L-14 SUPER ELECTRA
AT ROCKHAMPTON AIRFIELD, QLD
ON 8 OCTOBER 1942

L-14-WF62 Super Electra VHCKJ crashed at Rockhampton Airfield in central Queensland on 8 October 1942.

Ron Cuskelly states the following on his web page on this aircraft:-

"One reference states that the aircraft suffered an undercarriage collapse and was "completely burned" and that the pilot, Major James Cobb, claimed that the accident was caused by sabotage. (G.J. Casius AAHS Journal Summer 1983 p.148). In view of the duration of the ensuing overhaul, this report may not be too far from the truth!"

Tom Emmert from Cincinnati, OH, USA advised the following information on this aircraft:-

L-14 c/n 1442 was delivered to KNILM as PK-AFP on 24 June 1938. It was the 4th of five in their fleet. With the onset of hostilities, it was transferred (with three mates) to the Allied Directorate of Air Transport, 21 Squadron, and registered VH-CXJ. It was this ship that crashed at Rockhampton, Qld, on 8 Oct 1942. I have no other details of the accident.

Footnote:- The Pentagon finally caught up with these field acquisitions of foreign civil aircraft in Fiscal Year 1944. The Lockheed 14s were designated C-111, and this ship (c/n 1442) was posthumously recorded as s/n 44-83234.

REFERENCES

VHCXJ - Web page by Ron Cuskelly

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Tom Emmert and Ron Cuskelly for their assistance with this web page.

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 17 August 2023

This page last updated 17 August 2023