Last changed 28 January 2021

1975 BMR geomagnetic survey

BMR Geomagnetic (Third Order) Survey Party:
Supervising geophysicist (in Canberra): Peter McGregor
Geophysicists:   Phase 1 (southern desert areas): Maurice McMullen, Andrew McEwen (April – July 1975)
        Phase 2 (northern desert areas): Malcolm Robertson, Graeme Small (July – October 1975)
party leader    Jerry van der Linden
field hands    Steve van Hefferson, Tony Hos
engineers    Jim Allen, Paul Elliott
field hands   Bill Potter, Max (surname not recorded)
mechanics    Paul Bisping, Wayne James
cooks    Meg Smith (phase 1), then Danny Dunsmore (phase 2)

data collection phase (Dooley & McGregor 1982:64)
September–October 1975

forward-control truck RTE-054
another truck

base camp at Curlew WH, lower Lander River

Hookway Aviation Party:
pilots    Bruce Crawford (JetRanger), Ian McBeath (Enstrom F28A VH-FSG serial no. 194, operated by Hookway Aviation Pty Ltd)
    Bruce Crawford later with Pacific Helicopters, PNG
    Ian McBeath later with Lloyd Helicopters, Adelaide

© 1975 M Robertson	© 1975 M Robertson
Bell Jet Ranger 206B VH-AJD	Enstrom F28A VH-FSG
Malcolm Robertson with airphoto	on sandhill, Ian McBeath unloading tripods

The Enstrom replaced a Hughes 500C VH-PHR used in the beginning of the survey until an accident.

Maurice Macmullen
in field: Andrew McEwin
Peter McGregor received draft reports

helicopter accident

On Tuesday 16/9/1975, near Station 0753 19°22.5'S 131°37.5'E on the geomagnetic survey, a transmission bolt broke on the helicopter VH-FSG, followed by a heavy landing in which the rotor chopped off the tail.

Sept., 1975
16th Enstrom F-28A VH-FSG (194) difficulty was experienced in controlling the helicopter during a survey flight and it was force landed west of Tennant Creek, N.T., sustaining substantial damage. (AHSA 1975:16)

The two survey helicopters were operating on mutual SAR, and so the JetRanger recovered the personnel, and then slung the damaged airframe to the base camp.

Bruce, Wayne, Jerry, Tony, Danny
© 1975 M Robertson

A BSI (Bureau of Air Safety Investigation) investigator travelled to Alice Springs and then by helicopter to the base camp tand to the accident site. Graeme Small returned to Alice Springs with the investigator, and the survey completed with the Jet Ranger.

The helicopter was evidently repaired by 12 February 1976 when it was photographed at Essendon airport https://www.airhistory.net/photo/30684/VH-FSG

On Sunday 19/8/1990, towards the end of a 2.6 hour survey flight, we chanced upon three rotor blades stacked in the spinifex:

A few other bits and pieces were found, apparently damaged by fire:
1. small rectangle of soft metal with ‘CRASH SITE’ embossed on it
2. metal ring binder spine; 3-ring, US-style
3. 2 black metallic rods, about 1m x 1mm diameter thin
4. circular top with valve screw
5. 2 fragments apparently from an alloy clamp; white paint; casting number possibly “0-003-73H”; apparently rivetted against a flat surface and clamped around a ca. 3" diameter component > clamp on the Tail Cone Extension with tail boom serial number
6. a bent fragment of light alloy sheet metal > a shim from the Jack Strut assembly
7. boning knife with wooden handle
Item 5 led to the identification that the items were from VH-FSG.

References

AHSA. 1975. Accidents and incidents. Aviation Historical Society of Australia Journal 16.6(January–February 1976),11–19. http://ahsa.org.au/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/AHSA_1976_JN_Vol_16_No_06.pdf

BMR. 1975. 'Survey Area. BMR Helicopter Survey 1975'. [map] Produced for Hookway Aviation Pty Ltd by Gradex Pty Ltd Melbourne. Scale 1:2500000. [75-H-2] A/B9-116. * shows flights, camps, fuel dumps

BMR. 1976. Magnetic map of Australia — residuals of total intensity. Scale 1:2 500 000. 1 map on 4 sheets. https://a50017.eos-intl.net.au/A50017/OPAC_2/Details/Record.aspx?BibCode=3812451

Bureau of Air Safety Investigation. File AS/754/1022.

Dooley, J[im] C. & P.M. McGregor. 1982. Correlative geophysical data in the Australian region for use in the MAGSAT [Magnetic Field Satellite] project. ASEG (Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists) Bulletin 13.3(September 1982),63-67. https://doi.org/10.1071/EG982063https://www.publish.csiro.au/eg/EG982063 * refers to BMR 1976

Robertson, Malcolm. 1975. Photographs, Super8 cine film. Personal communications, 1992, 2020–21.

Small. Graeme. Email, 8 January 2021.

To Karlantijpa page

URL http://www.anu.edu.au/linguistics/nash/kt/1975-BMR-geomagnetic.html