British Aircraft Released By Albania

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28477, 6 January 1958, Page 7

British Aircraft Released By Albania

(Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, January 4

The British Skymaster freight plane detained by Albanian authorities from December 31 until this morning landed at Hurn airport, near Bournemouth, Hampshire, tonight.

The aircraft, with a crew of six including a stewardess, had flown from the Albanian town of Valona with a brief refuelling stop at Brindisi. The Skymaster, owned by Independent Travel, Ltd., was intercepted by Albanian fighters and forced down at Valona. ’lt was engaged on a cargo flight from Dusseldorf. Germany, to Singapore.

The Albanians asserted it violated their air space but agreed to release the aircraft last night after approaches by French diplomats in Tirana.

Britain has had no diplomatic relations with Albania since 1946. when two British destroyers were mined in Albanian waters with the loss of 40 lives.

The Skymaster's Polish-born pilot. Captain Marian Kozubski. told reporters at the airport, where relatives and friends crowded to meet the plane: “I was slightly over Albanian territory. You couldn’t blame them for what they did. “We shook hands, and all was happy after that.” Captain Kozubski said that the Skymaster -was at 15,500 feet and should have been flying in the centre of the air corridor dividing Albania and Greece, but drifted eight miles off course in bad weather.

“Suddenly two M.l.G.’s appeared They fired, shots went over the aircraft and I knew they wanted me to go down.

“So down I went ... I don’t know whether they were Russian pilots or not.” Captain * Kozubski said he landed at a military airfield and was asked why he had been flying over Albanian territory. *1 explained I had been forced off course because of the weather.

“1 was interrogated, by the police, I think. The quizzing went on for about seven hours till 9 o’clock at night the first day. It continued on the second day, but they were always polite, were quite nice and gave me English cigarettes.” “After being interrogated, the whole crew was escorted to a hotel in Berat. where there were civilian guards.” ' Captain Kozubski recalled that before the take-off yesterday they drank each other’s health in wine —“there was no ill-feeling, they were just doing their job.” The captain’s wife and three children ran across the tarmac and hugged him on arrival. Captain Kozubski is a British subject and a former Royal Air Force pilot.