Chipmunk WD287 - what happened?

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Member for

12 years 8 months

Posts: 29

This photo has recently been passed on to me (from the UK Serials site) showing Chipmunk WD287 (now VH-BBK flying in Australia). This aircraft was posted to FEAF on 19.10.1956, to the Malay Aux Air Force on 15.2.1957 and then to the RMAF as FM-1022 on 31.1.1959 (not to be confused with the Chipmunk now posing as "FM-1022" in the RMAF Museum at Kuala Lumpur). Given the soldiers attire (or lack thereof) I would think that the photo dates from this period.

Does anyone have any additional details please?

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a144/Blithering/WD287_zps7ntejlnw.jpg

Original post

Member for

20 years

Posts: 3,902

I will take a guess at low flying, ran into a wire ( wrapped round prop and spinner ) and subsequent aquatic forced landing.

Member for

16 years 10 months

Posts: 455

The record card gives

15/2/57 Malaysian Auxiliary AF, Penang
15/8/57 Cat.5
24/8/57 re-Cat.4
12/12/57 returned MAAF, Penang

So not as bad as it looks.

Member for

17 years 7 months

Posts: 27

Don't know what happened in the photo, but I have a feeling this Chipmunk was at various times 9M-ANI and 9V-BAE.

As 9V-BAE of the Singapore flying club, I did my first solo in it at Seletar in 1972. 25,000 hours ago.

Hope you're giving the old 'plane lots of TLC!

Ndege. (aka Mark)

Member for

17 years 4 months

Posts: 104

Nice story Mark, drop by La Baule west of France if you need a flight in a chipmunk again ! :-))

Member for

16 years 3 months

Posts: 1,813

I would love a flight in a DHC-1 Chipmunk..................!!!

Member for

12 years 8 months

Posts: 29

but I have a feeling this Chipmunk was at various times 9M-ANI and 9V-BAE.

Correct, Ndedge!

So not as bad as it looks.

RMR, I think maybe it was worse!

I've just had the following information from a very authoritative source:

The photo would have been taken between 16/8/1957 and 24/8/1957.

The Chipmunk of the Malay Auxiliary Air Force based at Penang had run low on fuel and in attempting to land at Medjie Airstrip 3 miles NNE of Johor Bahru ran into a mangrove swam. Date of accident 15/8/1957. Initially declared a write off, it was decided to retrieve and rebuild the aircraft [cat 4] at Selatar, where it arrived on 24/8/1957. The photo shows the retrieval operation underway.

After rebuild the aircraft was returned to the MAAF in December 1957 and sold to the Royal Malaysian AF in early 1959 and became FM1022. Presented by the RMAF to the Royal Singapore Flying Club in 1963 as 9M-ANI- then 9V-BAE on breakup of the Federation.

To Australia in 1976 having been purchased Jeff Trappett when he was serving at RAAF Butterworth. Became VH-BBK in 1977 and has remained as such.

As I posted earlier, not to be confused with the "FM-1022" currently on display at Kuala Lumpur! Thank you to all who responded.