From Hero to Zero

Rod Lovell

The truth behind the ditching of DC-3, VH-EDC in Botany Bay that saved 25 lives

On 24 April 1994, long before "Sully" became famous for ditching a plane into America’s Hudson River, all 25 souls on board were saved when a pilot was forced to ditch a DC-3 aircraft into Australia’s own Botany Bay after encountering problems just seconds after taking off from Sydney Airport.

The pilot, now retired Captain Rod Lovell, published a book detailing the truth behind the ditching and blowing the whistle on his treatment by the authorities which crushed him financially and destroyed his professional flying career. The controversial story highlights 25 years of frustration and persecution.

Lovell, who now lives in South Australia, had his pilot’s licence suspended, losing his earning ability and suffered years of battling to fight the system and prove that the aircraft itself was a safety risk.

The very authorities who investigated the crash and suspended Lovell’s pilot’s licence were the same, or linked to those also responsible for giving the all clear for the aircraft he was piloting to be in the air.

"I effectively became the sacrificial lamb in a government cover-up to ensure blame was deflected away from those actually responsible for the safety of the passengers. Some years later the aircraft was proven to be unflyable." Lovell says.

In this book the author reveals the REAL reasons the aircraft would not fly on one engine.
2021 marks the 27th anniversary of the ditching of the plane just 46 seconds after engine failure on take-off.

Bureau of Air Safety Investigation (BASI) had 2 years.
Sully had 208 seconds.
Captain Rod Lovell had 46 seconds.

 

 

 

About the Author

Born at Victor Harbour, South Australia, in 1949, Rod Lovell was raised on his parents mixed farm at Middleton, South Australia. After leaving Victor Harbour High School, Lovell joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1968 and qualified as an instrument fitter in 1971. At the same time he was selected to undergo pilot training and graduated #80 Pilots Course in 1972. Lovell went on to fly supersonic Mirage aircraft and then Orion aircraft, based at Edinburgh, South Australia.
In 1978 he left the RAAF to transfer to civil aviation. In the course of that, Lovell flew Argosy's, DC-3s and DC-9s. Also corporate jets, Citation and Learjets, plus numerous light twin engined aircraft. At one stage, he owned a Tiger Moth, Beech 18 and Piper Aztec.
In 1994, whilst conducting a charter in a DC-3, suffered an engine failure on take-off at Sydney, Australia and 46 seconds later ditched the aircraft saving the lives of all 25 souls on board. The Civil Aviation Authority thanked Lovell by suspending his licence. For 25 years Lovell been writing this book and fighting for vindication.