PLANE CRASHES ON CARRIER

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30130, 14 May 1963, Page 13

PLANE CRASHES ON CARRIER

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) SYDNEY, May 13.

Seventeen minutes of drama preceded the crash landing of a six million - dollar Skywarrior supersonic jet bomber on board the aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Coral Sea, off Sydney Heads today.

After losing its nose wheel the 20-ton twin-engined jet circled for 15 minutes before

crash-landing on the flight deck into a nylon net. The three crew members, who had flown the plane from Richmond air base, New South Wales, to join the carrier, were shaken but uninjured.

The pilot was the leader of a Skywarrior squadron, Commander R. Morris, aged 43, of Missouri.

The plane made a lowapproach and ‘‘banged” on to the flight deck in a sheet of white smoke, followed by a vivid red flash and an explosion.

The plane increased speed and flew off the deck, and the front nose wheel rolled off the deck into the sea.

An airborne jet inspected the damaged plane. Although it appeared the crippled plane was flying too high for the net, at the last second it ploughed into the nylon strips and plunged along the flight deck for over 100 feet.

The three crewmen were hauled from the top of the plane, which had shredded its left tyre while landing and damaged the nose and right wing. The Coral Sea left Sydney today after spending two weeks in port for Coral Sea week celebrations.

Haitian Exiles Form Govt.

SAN JUAN (Puerto Rico), May 12.

A Haitian government-in-exile was proclaimed here today by five politicians from the Caribbean Republic. They included Louis de Joie and Daniel Signole, who head two parties claiming 80 per cent, of Haiti’s voters. The two leaders described their “government” as antiCommunist and declared they were seeking quick recognition by democratic countries. They also promised elections within nine months after the fall of President Francois Duvalier.