This aircraft was the first on nine aircraft ordered new by Australian Airlines - July 28, 1988

Rolled off the Boeing production line at Seattle - January 21, 1990

Powered by CFM International CFM-56-3C1 engines

First flown as VH-TJE - February 07, 1990

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TJE - February 26, 1990

Registered to Australian National Airlines Commission, Melbourne

Accepted by Australian Airlines at Seattle (Boeing Field) - February 26, 1990

Departed Seattle (Boeing Field) on the delivery flight to Australia - March 15, 1990

Arrived Melbourne (Tullamarine) on completion of the delivery flight - March 17, 1990

Delivery route: Seattle - Port Angeles - Honolulu - Nadi - Melbourne

The aircraft was named 'Kookaburra'

Operated its first revenue service Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Sydney (Kingsford Smith) as TN534 - March 26, 1990

Australian Airlines was sold to Qantas Airways Ltd - September 14, 1992

Australian Airlines initially continued to operate as a separate identity with some flights jointly flown

between the two carriers

Australian Airlines was officially merged with Qantas Airways - October 31, 1993

Ownership was transferred to Qantas Airways Ltd - December 08, 1993

Registered to Qantas Airways Ltd, Sydney - August 15, 2008

Operated its final revenue service Canberra - Melbourne (Tullamarine) as QF853 - October 08, 2012

Qantas titles and logo were removed at Melbourne (Tullamarine)

Departed Melbourne in the basic Qantas livery on the ferry flight to the United States as QF6027 - October 15, 2012

Arrived Victorville for long-term storage - October 17, 2012

Ferry route: Melbourne - Sydney (overnight) - Apia - Honolulu - Victorville

It was observed stored at Victorville as 'VH-TJE' - August 13, 2013

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - November 22, 2013

Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N230AG - December 02, 2013

Registered to Wells Fargo Bank Northwest NA Trustee, Salt Lake City

It was reportedly destined for Aero Acquisitions (Aergo Capital Ltd)

It was observed stored at Victorville as 'N230AG' in the basic Qantas livery - November 01, 2014

Sold to Innovation Aviation - December 24, 2014

Registered to Aerotrust Service Corporation Trustee, Wilmington, Delaware - January 16, 2015

Ferried Victorville - Brownsville - Panama City for freighter conversion - July 06, 2015

Ferried Panama City - Miami following completion of freighter conversion - December 04, 2015

Aircraft was placed in storage at Miami

Ferried Miami - Bogota on delivery to Aerocaribe - June 07, 2016

Cancelled from the United States Aircraft Register - June 09, 2016

Entered onto the Colombian Aircraft Register as HK-5197 - June 2016

This aircraft was badly damaged in a landing accident at Leticia Airport (Colombia) - January 28, 2017

Aircraft was operating a freighter service Bogota - Leticia

It overran the end of the runway and came to a stop in soft ground beyond the runway threshold

The four crew members sustain no injuries

To view further details on this accident please click 'HERE'

Although the aircraft was considered to be beyond economical repair it was recovered for assessment

It was observed at Leticia being repaired - November 27, 2018

Ferried Letica - Bogota - 2019

It was observed in a hangar at Bogota - February 05, 2019

Returned to service - ?

VH-TJE. Australian - 'Kookaburra' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, July 1990.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4620-290.)

VH-TJE. Qantas The Australian Airline - 'Kookaburra' in the standard livery with additional '75th Birthday' decal at Brisbane Airport, November 1995.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4620-068.)

VH-TJE. Qantas Spirit of Australia - 'Kookaburra' in the standard livery at Coolangatta Airport, July 2004.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4620-930.)

VH-TJE. Qantas Spirit of Australia - 'Kookaburra' in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, March 2007.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 4620-387.)