SIGHTED JUST BEFORE CRASH.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 68, 2 January 1936, Page 5

SIGHTED JUST BEFORE CRASH.

CAPTAIN SAVED BY LIFEBELT. WARSHIP’S VAIN SEARCH. LONDON, January 1. The Brilliant towed the wreckage to Alexandria harbour, after searching in vain for other survivors. Captain Wilson was found floating in a lifebelt. The wreckage of the ’plane was some distance away. The Alexandria correspondent of the “Daily Express’ says the ’plane was flying from Athens to Alexandria and passed over Crete at midday. The waiting landing party at Alexandria sighted her at 5.15 p.m. and then she vanished. After leaving Crete, the liner sent a wireless message that it was winding in the aerial and was preparing to land at Alexandria at 5.20 p.m. Nothing further was heard. A destroyer and the Imperial Airways liner Hannibal were ordered out from Alexandria to search. The Brilliant picked up Captain W ilson at 11.20 p.m., a mile from Alexandria Harbour, and at 11.55 p.m. reported finding the wreckage of the ail-liner. The missing members of the crew are the first engineer, Mr Amor, the wireless operator, Mr Baker, and the steward, Mr Richardson. Details of the crash are still meagre. Imperial Airways states: “Both from the absence of wreckage and the report of the? pilot, there can be no doubt that the City of Khartoum sank. Sweeping operations are in progress to locate the wreck, with a- view to speedy salvage.”

The passengers divided into two parties at Brindisi, and it is believed that most of them embarked on the sister aeroplane City of Stonehaven, as the City of Khartoum, carried fewer passengers than usual. It is the first seriqus accident since the regular Englnnd-Australia service was opened. The pilot, Captain V. Gorry Wilson, is believed to have been the pilot on the first regular service to Australia.