WIRRAWAY CRASH LANDED
AT BUNDAMBA RACECOURSE,
IPSWICH, SE QLD
ON 9 APRIL 1941

At about 1045 hours on 9 April 1941 Wirraway A20-135 of 3 Service Flying Training School 3 SFTS at Amberley Airfield, piloted by LAC Graham Falconer (404732) crashed at Bundamba Racecourse. Falconer was practicing a forced landing approach and had glided from 2,500 feet to 2,000 feet when he opened the throttle to warm the engine. The engine missed and would not pick up, even though the petrol tank was changed and the wobble pump used. The aircraft put down on the racecourse but overshot the racecourse and hit a fence and nosed over. The pilot was not injured. The port mainplane was broken in half, the centre section port side leading edge was crumpled, the undercarriage was out of alignment, the starboard wing was extensively damaged, two propeller blades were bent, the engine cowls were damaged, the fuselage ribs were bent, the flaps were all damaged, pitot head was damaged beyond repair and the airscrew shaft was .03 out of true.

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 13 February 2026

This page last updated 13 February 2026