Winton remembers deadly Ansett-ANA Flight 149 crash 60 years on

Sixty years ago, a short flight between two Western Queensland towns ended in one of Australia's deadliest aviation crashes. On September 22, 1966, Ansett-ANA Flight 149 took off from Mount Isa, bound for Brisbane via Longreach, but 30 minutes into the flight, an engine caught fire, and the aircraft broke apart in the air, crashing onto a cattle property 19 kilometres west of Winton.

All 24 people on board died in the tragic accident. The small outback community of Winton, nearly 200 kilometres north-west of Longreach, gathered to mark the 60th anniversary of the crash, remembering the lives lost and the impact the tragedy had on the aviation industry.

Community Mourns

Winton Mayor Cathy White said the crash greatly affected the community. "Sixty years on, there are people here that remember it like it happened yesterday," she said. "I think we should always come and remember [together]."

At the ceremony, locals and families of those who died paid their respects. Elizabeth Gillam, the daughter of co-pilot John Gillam, was 18 months old when her father died. "It was a defining feature of my life," she said. "When the crash happened, my mum went from being a stay-at-home mum to being the breadwinner, so everything changed."

Dr. Gillam said it was important to hear the stories of other people affected. "All of these families, all of these people in the Winton community were brought together by this one singular event," she said. "So many lives were changed."

Lasting Impact

Anne O'Leary's father, Ken Cooper, piloted the plane. She said his loss significantly changed the dynamic of her family's life. Her mum had no choice but to go to work, and the family home was sold to make ends meet. Ms. O'Leary said her two younger brothers followed in their dad's footsteps and became pilots themselves. "I became a teacher. My older brother and I do not like to fly, but we do manage that," she said.

Ms. O'Leary attended the 25th anniversary, which she said was "cathartic and gave them closure". "After 60 years it's more about meeting other people, sharing stories and dedicating the memory to them," she said.

Investigation and Legacy

The tragedy led to one of the largest aviation crash investigations in Australian history. State Library of New South Wales historian Peter Hobbins said the Air Safety Investigation Branch launched an investigation, and the federal government ordered an independent inquiry. "[It] ended up costing the Commonwealth an estimated $1.12 million, in 1967 terms," he said.

Dr. Hobbins said the investigation and inquiry concluded that a small "blower" motor that helped deliver air into the cabin had worn out and caught fire, igniting one of the engines. That caused parts of the plane to melt before the wing broke off, tearing the roof open on descent.

Dr. Hobbins said the crash drove home the need for better monitoring and servicing intervals, and that the investigation reinforced Australia's dedication to becoming a world leader in aviation safety. "For the last nearly 60 years, it actually has been incredibly safe," he said. "I think a lot of the roots of that [safety] culture were set in the 1950s and the 1960s."

Documenting Oral History

Dr. Gillam believes there are lessons to be learned from the crash and has spent the last decade working to document them. After the 50th anniversary, she started an oral history project to collect testimonies from anyone who remembered the days and weeks following the tragedy.

As part of that research, Dr. Gillam spoke with investigator Don Wally. "He was able to explain in great detail what had happened," she said. Dr. Gillam's project is ongoing, and she is keen to speak with other people who have been affected, not just to capture what happened on that day in 1966, but to learn more about the wider ramifications, including how the families were compensated in the aftermath. "All of these are important to capture, for history, to work out how we can do things better."