LOSS OF DUTCH AEROPLANE

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21355, 24 December 1934, Page 13

LOSS OF DUTCH AEROPLANE

MACHINE COMPLETELY

WRECKED POSSIBLE EXPLANATION (UKJTEB TELnBiPH COPTJUGHT.^ (Received December 23, 8.50 p.m.) CAIRO, December 22. When Royal Air Force machines found the wreck cf the Dutch Douglas, which crashed in the desert and v. as burned, Flight Lieutenant Sione attempted to land his bomber, circling many times over the wreck, but he could not find a suitable spot. Commander Beekman, who was in charge of the Douglas, was an extremely experienced airman with !)500 flying hours to his credit. The wireless operator, M. van Zadelhoil, was the only survivor of the disaster to the air liner Stork at Bangkok in 1931. The ground salvage party found the Douglas upside down, the bodies of two of the passengers and three of the crew several yards from the aeroplane, and one wheel and one propeller some .distance away. The tail and rear portion of the fuselage were intact. It is suggested that the pilot was endeavouring to land at the height of the thunderstorm, and chose a stretch of ground which looked in the fitful light of the almost continuous lightning like a possible landing place, but which was really little better than a swamp. The aeroplane violently overturned and broke to pieces, catching fire. The victims still in the smouldering debris were badly burned and identification was almost impossible. Ambulance men carried the remains to the armoured cars in which the rescue narty had arrived. A proportion of the mails was salved. A post-mortem examination disclosed that all the men died of concussion. Most of their limbs were broken. They will be buried tomorrow in the British cemetery. PARMENTIER INTERVIEWED THE HAGUE, December 21. K. D. Parmentier, telephoning from Amsterdam, said: "I have frequently flown over the area in which the disaster occurred, and cannot suggest the possible cause of the crash. The Douglas was the finest machine I have ever flown. "Soon after leaving Cairo during the Centenary air race we experienced very bad weather, but the machine behaved perfect^-."

FRENCH MACHINE HITS HOUSE

PILOT ONLY SLIGHTLY INJURED (Received December 23, 9.20 p.m.) LONDON, December 22. A French three-engined aeroplane landing at Croydon without passengers overshot the aerodrome ani crashed through the wall of a house. It came to a standstill alongside a gas stove. The pilot had an amazing escape, and was only slightly injured. The occupants of the house. Mr Fred Martin and his daughter, were sent to hospital, but not in a serious condition.