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HOME OF THE LADY DENMAN - Local history isn't always about the big story - the everyday story of life in the early development of the region can be a fascinating, entertaining and educational journey.

12 January 2016

Firefly sonar scan


Above is a sonar scan of the remains of Fairy Firefly VX381.
During navigational training on the 27th November 1956 two Fairy Firefly aircraft collided over Hare Bay within Jervis Bay. Fairy Firefly VX 381 crashed into Hare Bay, the crew survived.  Fairy Firefly WD 887 has never been located to this date and the crew unaccounted for.

The wreckage of VX 381 was located in 1983 by Charlie Pickering while diving for Scallops, the wreckage is located in about 13 metres of water.

Charlie told me he was scouring the bottom looking for scallops when in the green gloom he saw a big cross shape rising from the bottom, approaching cautiously he soon realised he had found a plane.

Shortly after,  we dived the plane with Charlie, the plane was basically intact with all the instruments and equipment still inside - one wing was half buried under the sand the other was raised a few feet above the sand.  Other divers over many years have stripped most of the parts off the plane.  We dived it quite often over the next 10 years,  usually dropping in on the way back to the Callala Bay boat ramp...The area is subject to green water compared to most of the bay, but I have been lucky enough to have dived it a few times when you could see the plane right after leaving the surface.

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