AIR CRASH INQUIRY

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29725, 19 January 1962, Page 13

AIR CRASH INQUIRY

Changed Plan Theory (N.Z J 3 .A. •Reuter—Copyright) NDOLA iNthn, Rhodesia), January 18. Evidence that the late United Nations SecretaryGeneral (Mr Hammarskjold) changed his mind about landing att Ndola Airport shortly before the air crash in which he died, was given yesterday before the Rhodesian Federal Government commiss.on inquiring into the disaster. The Ndola Airport manager 'Mr John Williams) made his submission to the threeman commission sitting in Ndola High Court, the Associated Press reported. Mr Williams said he concluded shortly before Mr plane flew over Ndola Airport and disappeared that Mr Hammarskjold had ordered the pilot not to land. From a source of “private information” he gathered that Mr Hammarskjold was not going to land at all that night. “Lt was reasonable to assume the pilot had decided either to divert or stand off until daylight” Mr Williams said he heard the noise of the plane pass over Ndola but did not see it He said the flight was like a military operation, cloaked in secrecy. He was not unduly concerned about the safety of the aircraft after the control tower lost contact with it Mr Williams said the control tower sent out “uncertainty phase” signals after the plane vanished. But this was not followed up with normal "alert phase” signals when the plane remained unlocated “because of the nature of the flight.”