Crashed on take-off at Lae, Papua New Guinea, on April 18, 1948. All 37 on board were killed comprising two crew, two passengers of European background and 33 native Papua New Guineans. At the time, native passengers were treated as cargo, with weight and not numbers the limit. They were not provided with seat belts and on the fateful flight, neither were the European passengers. The accident, which is at the time of upload the worst for an aircraft registered in Australia, resulted seat belts becoming mandatory for all passengers regardless of race.

This aircraft appears to have been operated by the Swan Hill branch of Griffith based Cropair.

Like many Australian Pawnees, VH-ALA was to give up cropdusting for glider towing. It was still on the register in 2017