Aircraft VH-DAI Data

VH DAI was owned by my father in circa 1970. He was a geophysicist and director of a group of mineral exploration companies, one of which was Austral Airsurveys, based in Adelaide, South Australia. The EP9 was fitted out with a significant amount of remote sensing (airborne magnetic and radiometric) equipment for mineral exploration surveys with a crew of three (pilot, navigator, equipment operator/electronic technician). During this period, while undertaking a survey in the Murray Bridge area of South Australia, they suffered and engine failure and completed a forced landing in a field. The aircraft sustained minor damage with a collapsed undercarriage on one side, and crumpled wing tip if I recall correctly. It was subsequently repaired an put back in service. I was navigator in a second aircraft, Cessna U206a (VH BBX). VH DAI was eventually sold as it was somewhat underpowered for the work required.