Bomb-Scare In Premier’s Plane

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30157, 14 June 1963, Page 11

Bomb-Scare In Premier’s Plane

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

SYDNEY, June 13

An airliner carrying the Australian Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, to London was recalled immediately after take-off today when an anonymous caller told Sydney Airport there was a bomb aboard.

Dame Patti Menzies and her son also were aboard. The jet was delayed for 105 minutes while the plane w r as unloaded, all baggage searched and technicians searched every inch of the aircraft.

No bomb was found

The Qantas operations telephonist said she answered a call at 12.3 p.m. and a man asked her “Has the Menzies plane left yet?” She told the man the plane had just taken off.

The caller replied: “Well, tell them it has a bomb on it.” The control tower tried to

get the message to the pilot (Captain A. Laurie) before the jet left the ground but failed.

The jet had reached an altitude of 1500 feet when it was recalled.

"Something Untoward"

Captain Laurie apologised to his 54 passengers over the public address system saying “something untoward has happened.” While the airport’s emergency siren sounded, crash tenders and fire engines raced to the side of the runway and the jet touched down again less than five minutes after take-off. The machines accompanied the plane towards the overseas terminal where it was parked several hundred yards away for safety. Passengers were unloaded into buses and driven away from the aircraft.

After returning to the terminal Sir Robert Menzies said:

“I cannot say my pulse has quickened. In my time I have had many threatening letters. They have invariably been sent by lunatics."