Avon-Sabre - Bruthen, Vic, Australia
S 37° 42.482 E 147° 49.995
55H E 573446 N 5826252
What could be the nose of the Avon-Sabre jet plane is on display beside the Main Street of Bruthen.
Waymark Code: WMWPF9
Location: Victoria, Australia
Date Posted: 09/26/2017
Views: 2
Right beside the Main Road is a concrete slab, with a bronze plaque attached to describe the lone piece of wreckage from 1958. The plaque reads:
"This is all that remains of an RAAF Avon-Sabre jet which crashed on the outskirts of Bruthen on 27 November 1958.
"Flt Lt Ralph Oborn (DFM, ADFC) was on a flight from NSW to Sale when his jet engine "flamed out" at 40,000 feet. Oborn managed to avoid crashing in the built up area of the town before ejecting at 500 ft. He was the first pilot to eject safely from an aeroplane in Australia. He received only minor injuries. It was the first time he had used a parachute.
This plaque was unveiled during the 125th Bruthen School Anniversary 1997 and was proudly sponsored by H.W. Baggs and Son, Funeral Directors."
Additional information (in general, and specific to this plane, RAAF Serial Number: A94-950), can be found at: (
visit link) [About half way down!]
"Construction Number: CA27-50; Aircraft Type: Mk.32: "Received 1 AD 19/12/56 with installed Avon CAC130.
"To 78 Wing 22/01/57.
"On 30/10/58 A94-963 had problems with the oxygen system and -950 escorted it to Townsville.
"Suffered engine flame out and crashed 26/11/58, 2 nm [nautical miles, or 3.7 km] north of Bruthen, Vic.
"The pilot FLT LT Ralph V Oborn DFM ADFC ejected at 600 ft and 180 kts with only minor injuries. RAAF Ejection number 15.
"Approval given 21/04/59 for installed Avon RR3076 to be converted to instructional item and residue of airframe to be converted to scrap metal.
"Part of the wreckage is displayed in Bruthen with a plaque remembering the crash, other wreckage is at the Gippsland Armed Forces Museum at West Sale"
Visited: Thursday, 12 May, 2016