AIR CRASH

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 72, 24 March 1923, Page 11

AIR CRASH

BRISTOL TOURER. THREE PASSENGERS INJURED. (From Our Special L'orresponacnt.s BOURKE, March Iβ. Disaster met the Bristol tourer aeroplane, which is accompanying the Vick-ers-Vuloan machine on its trip to Longreacli, Queensland, upon its arrival at Bourke this afternoon. Engine trouble occurred to the machine when it was about to lar.d, and a moment later it crashed to the ground. Only the presence of mind of Captain E. O." Jones, the pilot, saved the passengers from a possibly worse fate. Ho managed to effect a landing on the right wing of the aeroplane, thus preventing a "head-on"' crash. As it was. Captain Jone3 fractured his right thigh, and Captain R. A. IToddinot, Inspector of Aerodromes, fractured his right shoulder joint. Both are now in the Bonrke District Hospital. The third passenger. Mr. R. 11. Buchanan, one of the Commonwealth aircraft inspectors, escaped more lightly. He was bruised badly, and had a severe gash on the jaw; but after this gash had been stitched up he was able to remain at the Post Oiliee Hotel. The disaster was a nasty blow in nil the memhers of the party. Both the Vickers-Yulean and the Bristol tourer left Xarromine in splendid condition at 0.50 a.m. The journey of '200 odd miles from Xarromine to Bourke, over forbidding mulgii scrub country, was accomplished magnificently. This part of the trip had not been relished, for over the whole of the 200 miles of country so insistent is the. scrub country that there are very few places for a forced landing. Fortunately there was no ncea to descend, and everyone wa9 delighted when tho machine circled high above the town of Bourke. When flying about 600 ft over Bnurke, Captain Jones throttled the engine back and banked to the left so thai. Mr. Buchanan might fire a Verev light to test the wind. The descent continued, and the Bristol tourer was fairly near to the ground in a pnddock next to the aerodrome. There were trees and fences to be guarded against in the p.idilook before the landing could bo eff "<•;•■.!. Cnptain Jones endeavoured to open up the engine again, but it failed to act. A crasli became inevitable, and it was a question of minimising tho trouble. With great presence of mind the pilot decided to land on the right wing tn avoid a "head-on"' crash. The right wing of the plane touched the ground, and the machine swung round violently. crashing into a sapling and tearing it up. The wing was badly splintered and finally the machine stopped. Captain Wigglesworth and the two passengers in the Viekers-Vulcan \rero still in the air. The landing was not easy, but the pilot made a magnificent descent into a paddock. The party realised that something had happened, for the Bristol tourer was inert in the next paddock, and there was a procession of motorists and pedestrians hurrying across the landing paddock, and thereby seriously imperilling their own lives and the safety of the Vickers- \ ulc-an in its decent. Hastening to the scene of the disaster, the passengers of the Vickers-Vulcan found the smaller plane a heap of ruins. Mr. Buchanan had appeared to be the least shaken, for he hopped out of the seat at the back where he had been sitting with Captain Hoddinot, and was on his way to fetch a doctor when he co,lapsed to the ground. He escaped more serious injuries by "ducking"' and relaxn.g hie muscles when he found that a crash was inevitable. Captain Hoddinot, on the other hand appeared to have drawn himself erect' and in consequence received the full impact of the shock upon one of his shoulders. He seemed in a bad way when the first witness of the disaster arrived on the s-ene, and he was hurried away to hospital in a motor oar. Captain Jones, who occupied tho pilot's seat in the front of the machine met the shock on his right side, and his tingn in consequence was fractured. He and Mr. Buchanan were removed in another motor ear. and the three injured men were met by Dr. Brown, who aceempanied them to the district hospital wiiere two of them were placed under the care of the medical superintendent Mr. Buchanan was able to walk about n n' ac atton < led to it the hotel by Dr Brown. He was anxious immediately to return to the scene of the accident, but was prevailed upon to remain mdoor,. He was much concerned that some flowers that he had brought from Melbourne for his wife, who is jn Charleville, would not be delivered. -Nigi.t and moriung he has watered these flowers, which have stood the journey l " , oxr thcT »ro at the district hospital.