Lutana graves restored 70 years after fatal plane crash

The 13 passengers who died during the crash at Mount Crawely near Nundle are buried at Tamworth City Cemetery.

On Sunday, the graves were rededicated and a new plaque was unveiled.

Read the feature: The fatal flight - Lost lives of the Lutana

Nundle Lions Lady Margaret Schofield said the project came about when one of the relatives contacted her, asking if she could show her where the mass grave was.

“We thought we knew where it was – but when we went there, we couldn’t find it,” Mrs Schofield said.

“We knew roughly where it was, but it had deteriorated so badly we couldn’t tell.

“The plaque had been lost and there were no records, as the records were sent to various churches, not council.”

It’s been 70 years since the Lutana crash, but the incident is still remembered as one of the most significant events in Australian aviation history.

Following the parliamentary inquiry, flights moved from radio-waves to radar.

“It influenced the course of aviation over the next 40 years; everything was referred back to that inquiry,” Mrs Schofield said.