VH-ANA              'Amana'                 c/n  42910

                                                             The ill-fated first DC-4 of Australian National Airways.  The first five DC-4s delivered to
                                                             ANA were "true" DC-4s, known as the Douglas DC-4-1009 model.   i.e. purpose built
                                                             as civilian airliners, and not converted C-54s.   In accordance with ANA's naming policy
                                                             of the day, they were all given names with an aboriginal flavor ending in '-ana'.  VH-ANA
                                                             had its first flight at the Douglas plant at Santa Monica Municipal Airport (later to become
                                                             a frequent haunt of mine) on 28 January 1946.   It transited the Pacific and was delivered to
                                                             ANA on 9 February of the same year.  On 22.00 hours on 26 June 1950 'Amana" departed
                                                             Guildford Airport, Perth en route to Adelaide and Melbourne.  It crashed some 12 minutes
                                                             later near York, W.A. with the loss of 29 lives. Although the cause of the crash was never
                                                             truly identified it was suspected that it was due to engine failure caused by an open cross-feed
                                                             drain cock.  These two photographs (above and below) came from Australian National Airways.
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