survived. On 31 May 1974, a Fokker F27 Friendship departed Orange Airport and was making a nighttime approach to Bathurst Airport in turbulent and rainy conditions. Just before reaching the runway threshold, at an altitude of approximately 67 metres (220 feet), the pilots realised the aircraft had drifted too far to the left of the runway centre line to make a safe landing, so they decided to initiate a go-around. However, the aircraft encountered a sudden downdraft, and due to its altitude being too low to effect a recovery, the rear fuselage impacted the ground heavily, just outside the boundary of the flight strip. The aircraft slid 625 metres (2050 feet) along the ground, ripping the starboard engine off the wing. The passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft, and all survived. Fleet 3 Lockheed Hudson (converted into civil transports) 8 Douglas DC-3 20 Fokker F27 Friendship 8 Fokker F28 Fellowship 2 Boeing 727-200 1 de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 8 BAe 146-300 See also List of defunct airlines of Australia Aviation in Australia References Bibliography Gradidge, Jennifer M., The Douglas DC-1, DC-2, DC-3 - The First Seventy Years Volume 1, Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, Tonbridge Kent, 2006, External links Airlines established in 1947 Airlines disestablished in 1993 Ansett Australia Defunct airlines of Australia Australian companies established in 1947 Australian companies disestablished in 1993