AIRLINER’S CRASH

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27637, 19 April 1955, Page 13

AIRLINER’S CRASH

Cause Believed “Extraneous”

(Rec. 8 p.m.) BOMBAY, April 17. Air India International said today that the three survivors of its Constellation airliner, Kashmir Princess, which crashed in the South China Sea last Monday, “are of the opinion that the explosion and fire which caused its loss emanated from an extraneous source wholly unconnected with the structure of the aircraft.”

Communist China has alleged that sabotage caused the crash of the aeroplane, which was carrying Chinese officials to Bandung for the AfricanAsian conference.

In a statement issued today Air India said that the three of the crew who were rescued were also of the opinion that the explosion and fire “were not caused by the failure of any part of the airframe, engine or fuel or other systems in the aircraft.”

The statement said that the exact cause of the tragedy “must, however, be left to be ascertained by the official court of inquiry after a detailed examination of the wreckage which lies in relatively shallow water.” The statement said: “Captain D. K. Quatar decided on an immediate landing on water. Owing to damage to the right wing caused by a rapidly spreading fire and the resultant failure of the hydraulic system and heavy sipoke in the cockpit, which destroyed visibility, the descent and landing were made under exceptionally difficult conditions. “The ground engineer, A. S. Karnik, and the navigator, J. C. Pathak, were thrown out into the sea on impact while the first officer, M. C. Dixit, escaped through the cockpit’s storm window.

“It is important to note that up to the moment of the explosion and the outbreak of the fire the aircraft functioned normally in every respect. The right inboard engine, which was nearest to the fire, was stopped and feathered by the commander as a precautionary measure during the descent, although it was running perfectly up to then-

“The other three engines continued to function normally up to the time of ditching.

“The three surviving members? of the crew are of tne opinion that the explosion and fire emanated from ex-: traneous sources wholly unconnected with the structure of the aircraft and they were rot caused by failure of any part of the airframe, engine or fuel systems in the aircraft.”

The absence of the national newspapers has deprived Britain of its customary spate of Budget speculation, and even the provincial journals still publishing are showing an unusual caution in prophecy. The Socialists have alleged that one of the Government’s reasons for calling a General Election now is its fear that Britain faces the possibility of economic difficulties in the next 12 months. • If they are right, it would be logical for Mr Butler to resist the temptation to garnish his Budget with income tax or other concessions which might leave the country with a favourable impression of the outgoing Government. But if the Chancellor of the Exchequer is convinced that the nation’s economy is likely to remain on an even keel, he has about £430,000,000 of surplus in hand with which to provide reliefs of various kinds. Some politicians on the Government side are hoping that he is thinking of 6d off income tax—which at the moment reaches the top standard rate of 9s 6d in the. £. But a section of the Conservatives thinks this' might look too much like bribing the electors, and they would prefer him to wrap up any concession in the form of higher family allowances.

A reduction in the 2s 6d tax on petrol, and perhaps some relief in the tax on beer, are spoken of hopefully by some financial sources. Mr Hugh Gaitskell, a former Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer, will be the main Opposition speaker after Mr Butler on Tuesday, as Mr Attlee, the official Labour leader, is at present in Canada on a lecture tour. Mr Gaitskell is likely to take the line —whether the Budget is .cheerful or merely “standstill’’—that the Government is going to the country because it fears financial difficulties later in the year. The Budget debate will continue on Wednesday, Thursday and Monday, and Mr Butler will presumably propose two separate finance bills to give legal effect to its proposals. If the Labour Party should win the election, it would have the right, if it cares, to alter the Budget. Budget Forecast: Page 3