Expanse: Disappearing in the Devil’s Triangle – ABC podcast investigates the 1981 VH-MDX mystery – The ABC’s multi-award-winning podcast Expanse has returned with Disappearing in the Devil’s Triangle, investigating one of Australia’s greatest aviation mysteries. The new season examines the 1981 disappearance of flight VH-MDX over the remote Barrington Tops in NSW. The first episode is available now on ABC listen, with new episodes dropping each Monday.
In fact, this is the seventh season of Expanse, following The Nannup Four. The ABC first flagged the Barrington Tops investigation in its 2027 slate, as TV Central reported in its ABC 2027 Upfront coverage.
Keely Johnson reopens the VH-MDX case
Across five episodes, host Keely Johnson reopens the case. She uncovers new theories, revisits long-forgotten evidence and tracks down the voices of those who have spent decades searching for answers.
Ultimately, her investigation takes her deep into the rugged wilderness at the heart of a mystery that has remained unsolved for 45 years.
What happened in the Devil’s Triangle?
Indeed, the Barrington Tops is harsh and unforgiving, with impenetrable bush and towering mountains. Known by some as the ‘Devil’s Triangle’, it is one of Australia’s most remote regions.
On 9 August 1981, a small six-seater aircraft vanished without a trace. The pilot’s final, panicked transmission, “5000!”, was the last anyone would hear from the five men on board.
In an instant, the families of the missing men faced terrible uncertainty, and a desperate search began. As rescue crews scoured the wilderness and media attention intensified, families held on to hope that searchers would find the men alive. But as days passed, unsettling questions began to surface.
How can an aircraft simply disappear? Why has no trace of it ever been found? And who were the men at the centre of this extraordinary story?
Overall, according to the ABC, the season is an investigation into loss, obsession, unanswered questions, grief and one of Australia’s most baffling unsolved aviation mysteries.
Expanse vodcast on ABC News Channel and ABC iview
Alongside the podcast, a vodcast version will air on ABC News Channel. It will also be available on ABC iview from Tuesday, 1 December.
Expanse production credits
Besides host Keely Johnson, the production team includes:
- Sound engineer and producer: Grant Wolter
- Video producers: Andrew George and Murray Adams
- Lead camera: Geoff Kemp
- Additional production: Jessica Hinchliffe, Emma Siossian and Dominique Bayens
- Supervising producer: Piia Wirsu
- Executive producer: Blythe Moore
- Fact check: Cathy Niven
In addition, the ABC developed this season of Expanse in collaboration with its regional NSW team.
Where to listen to Expanse: Disappearing in the Devil’s Triangle
Expanse: Disappearing in the Devil’s Triangle is available now on ABC listen and all major podcast platforms, with new episodes each Monday.
For more TV Central ABC news, head here. To listen now, visit ABC listen.