LAST weekend was as an important anniversary for not only Warwick's history, but that of the Royal Australian Air Force.

On Easter Saturday April 8, 1955 the call came in to the No.10 Squadron based at RAAF Townsville for a critically ill two-day-old to be transported to Brisbane.

Wing Commander John Costello, the squadron's commanding officer, put his hand up for the job, with most of his aircrew on Easter leave at the time.

Wing Commander Costello took with him Squadron Leader John Finlay, a war-time navigator, Sqn Ldr Charles Mason, the base's senior engineering officer, and Flight Lieutenant William Cater, senior radio officer at Barbutt.

The final passenger was nurse Mafalda Gray, 26, who had finished her last shift at Townsville before accepting the job without hesitation.

At 4.05am the Lincoln bomber contacted Brisbane Air Traffic Control to say it would arrive at Eagle Farm in 10 minutes.

At 4.14am, members of the Brisbane Bushwalking Club heard a large aircraft fly by, followed by an explosion.

The Lincoln slammed into Mt Superbus, the highest mountain in Southern Queensland.

All passengers died instantly.

The four RAAF men were buried with full military honours at Brisbane's Lutwyche Cemetery.

Baby Robyn and Sister Gray were buried in Townsville.

Since the crash, there has been much discussion on how the flight, flown by such capable hands, could have ended so tragically.

An inquest found the aircraft's compass had not been calibrated and the radio and radar were not fully serviceable.