Piper Comanche Wreck, D’Aguilar National Park, QLD

2nd March 1977, a Piper Comanche and its single occupant crashed in the Mt Glorious vicinity. The wreck and deceased pilot were found 4 days later. Decades on, bushwalkers can still hike to the plane wreckage.

Quick Info

Location: Lepidozamia Road, Mount Glorious Rd, Mt Glorious QLD 4520

Walking Distance: 6km

Elevation: 310m

Time: 2 hours

Difficulty: Medium – elevation – some sections are very steep, navigation,

Cost/Permit: Nil

Opening Times: Track closed occasionally for maintenance

Facilities: Nearest toilets Maiala Picnic Grounds, parking for a dozen cars at the corner of Mt Glorious Rd and Lepidozamia Break

What to Take: topographical map, personal locator beacon, hat, sunscreen, camera, GPS app such as All Trails

Map:

After parking at the corner of Lepidozamia Rd and Mt Glorious Rd, continue along Lepidozamia Break for about 100m before turning right. The beginning of the Piper Comanche track is overgrown and easy to miss but quickly widens.

The majority of the out and back track is wide and obvious, with regular reassuring orange arrows to follow. The path for the last 500m (before reaching the plane site) becomes less obvious and the descent is very steep in places.

You get to pass some very pretty sections in the forest.

About half way to the plane wreck, on your right, you will pass an old rusted forestry winch.

The plane, or what’s left of it, is only a short distance from a nearby creek. Broken into numerous pieces, the plane seems very insubstantial.

Downhill from the plane pieces is a large fallen tree, ideal for a picnic before heading back.

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