This aircraft was ordered newby Indian Airlines Corporation - ?

It was built at the de Havilland Chester plant

Accepted at Chester by Indian Airlines - June 19, 1955

It was configured to seat 14 passengers

Entered onto the Indian Aircraft Register as VT-DHE - June 19, 1955

Sold to Banwarilal, India - May 1961

Sold to The Hindu Times - March 1963

Sold to Kusturi Lal & Sons - April 1963

Sold to Aerocontracts (aircraft brokers) for resale to Gulf Air - June 15, 1965

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-ATFE (CofR R.4718/1) - June 15, 1956

Registered to Aerocontacts (Aircraft Distributors) Limited, Horley, Surrey

Sold to Connellan Airways - June 28, 1965

Cancelled from the British Aircraft Register - June 28, 1965

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-CLS - October 21, 1966

Registered to Connellan Airways Ltd, Alice Springs

Registered to Connair Pty Ltd following the company's change of name - July 11, 1970

Converted to Heron 2E/A1 standard by having Lycoming engines installed - March 1974

Used in the evacuation of Darwin following Cyclone Tracy - December 1974

This aircraft was destroyed on approach to Cairns Airport, October 23, 1975

It was operating the service Alice Springs - Mt Isa - Cairns as flight CK1263

Flight crew: Captain G. A. Edwards; F/O P. Scaife; Hostess L. L. French

Killed were the three crew members and 8 passengers

The crash occured during a severe electrical storm, 3 km short of the runway at Holloway Beach, Cairns

The pilot failed to initiate a climb to a safe altitude when a missed approach was commenced

No reason for the failure to follow standard missed approach procedure was determined

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - October 23, 1975

To read the ATSB report on this accident please click 'HERE'