THIRTEEN ABOARD.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 142, 18 June 1929, Page 7

THIRTEEN ABOARD.

Huge 'Plane Nose-Dives Into The Sea. FRANTIC RESCUE-> EFFORTS. (Australian and N.Z. Press Association.) (Received 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 17. The Imperial Airways' wonderful record was rudely shattered to-day when the City of Ottawa (not Pretoria as previously cabled) nose-dived in the Channel. She is a twin-engined Handley-: Pago 'plane and had thirteen passengera aboard when she left Croydon at 10.30 for Zurich. She sent out an S.O.S. when fifteen 'miles across the Channel and the pilot immediately turned back, but three miles from Folkestone he wirelessed that lie was landing on the sea alongside a trawler, which was the first seen. The 'plane sent up a huge column of water, somersaulting, smashing the wings and immediately beginning to sink, but the trawler got grappling irons under the 'plane and cleverly kept a part of the machine above the waterline while the crew used axes against the outside walls of the cabin and thus reached imprisoned passengers.

These were thrown in a heap when the 'plane dived. Some were already beyond human aid owing to injuries or through being drowned by the inrush ot water, but four passengers and a mechanic were taken off. The efforts at rescue continued for an hour before the body of a woman was extricated from the cabin.

An ' attempt was then made to tow the 'plane and the bodies ashore. When the pilot cutter came in sight of the shore it signalled for an ambulance for the injured, including two women, who were placed in a rowing boat and taken to hospital. The body of Mrs. Ickerson, a relative of Mrs. and Miss Fleming, of Sydney, both of whom were rescued, was also taken ashore covered with the Union Jack. Four bodies are still in the City of Ottawa.