VH-PGT  DHC-6-320  Twin Otter                                   (c/n  271)

                                   

                                        Second of the Twin Otters acquired by Ansett in 1969 from the US Company Floair, Inc.
                                        This concern appears to have purchased them new from de Havilland Canada and immediately
                                        resold them.  Were they an airline who didn't make it, or an aircraft dealer?    After being
                                        registered on 19 February 1970 the aircraft went to work in Papua New Guinea until it was
                                        withdrawn from service in October 1973.   Greg Banfield saw it at Bankstown (above) in
                                        November 1973 when  it was up for sale by Bannock Aerospace Ltd     What followed then
                                        was a very colorful career - see Aussieairliners.net's full story on

                                                               http://www.aussieairliners.org/dhc-6/vh-pgt/vhpgt.html

                                        The shot below shows it as CF-JJI, an identity it had after leaving PNG in 1973.  Taken by
                                         Mike Madden at Bankstown in 1974.     C/n 271 wound up back on the Australia register
                                         again in 1989 as VH-NIO. working in the Solomon Islands.           It eventually went onto
                                         the Solomon's register as H4-SIA and was destroyed in an horrific crash on Mt. Nashua,
                                         Guadalcanal on 27 September 1991, killing the 2 crew and 13 passengers.   The aircraft
                                         was descending for a VFR approach to Henderson International Airport, Honiara, in heavy
                                         rain and low cloud.