A FORCED LANDING

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 183, 1 May 1929, Page 11

A FORCED LANDING

BLENHEIM AIRMEN SAFE DESCENT AT SHIP COVE THRILLING STORY OF FLIGHT In view of the stormy weather and torrential rain of Monday, the keenest anxiety was felt in Wellington concerning the Blenheim airmen. The fear that Captain Noel Chandler and Mr. C. A. Macdonald had met with disaster on their flight from Feilding to Blenheim was turned to great relief and joy when, shortly before noon yesterday, news was received in Wellington that they were both safe and well after making a forced landing. The secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department informed the “Dominion” that the missing airmen had landed on Monday afternoon at Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, owing to engine trouble. The message added that the aeroplane was slightly damaged, but the occupants were uninjured. The men hail a trying time in the air and in making a forced landing and Captain Chandler had to walk to Fissenden’s homestead at Cannibal Cove where he telephoned to the postmaster at Endeavour Inlet at 11 o’clock yesterday morning. H< immediately communicated with tire postmaster at Pieton, who at once advised Wellington. Ship Cove is at the west side of the main entrance to Queen Charlotte Sound immediately opposite Motuara Island, on which Captain Cook hoisted the British flag in January, 1770. A monument commemorating the visit and landing of Captain Cook stands on the shore at the head of Ship Cove, -which is a difficult place for an aeroplane landing. Dense bush grows right up to the edge of the narrow beach and the water is fairly deep close in. Cannibal Cove, so called byCaptain Cook because of the cannibalistic customs of the Maoris of those days, is the little bay from which Cook took his departure in H.M.S. Endeavour on February 6, 1770. It lies immediately north of Ship Cove, from which it is. separated by a bluff covered with dense bush. Endeavour Inlet is a large gulf, the entrance to which is further up the Sound. In the storm and heavy rain of Monday night the airmen must have had a very cold, cheerless and trying time marooned in Ship Cove. Sea Search Started. Acting on the request of Mr. H. R. Dix, president of the Marlborough Aero Club, the Prime Minister (Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward) arranged for a search to be instituted by sea. After a consultation with the Marine Department, the Harbour Board sent away its tug Toia at 10 o’clock yesterday morning. After clearing Pencarrow Head the Toia set a course for Cloudy Bay, whence it was intended to zig- • zag through Cook Strait to the Brothers and Queen Charlotte Sound. When the tug was off Karori Rock, about ten miles out, a radio message was received at 12.20 p.m. stating that the airmen had been found. The Toia at once turned back and arrived at Wellington at 2.25 p.m. The steamer Totara, which left Wellington at 11 a.iu. for New Plymouth had also been instructed to keep a look-out for signs of the missing flyers. Nautical men consider that the airmen were fortunate in being able to make a landing in the comparative calm of Queen Charlotte Sound. Had the aeroplane been forced, down at sea in Cook Strait on Monday there would have been no trace of it or the men after Monday night’s storm. In view of the weather forecasts during the week-end and the actual conditions prevailing on Monday it is considered that the airmen were extremely fortunate in getting through. Ship Cove is wide of a direct course from Feilding to Blenheim. Dr. E. Kidson, Director of Meteorology, stated yesterday that the morning the flyers left Hastings he received a telegram from Captain White (secretary to the Hastings Aero Club) : “Wire weather conditions, please,” and he at once wired him the weather forecast. which he naturally took to be wanted for the airmen. Major Caldwell, who was going to fly from Hastings to New Plymouth, he understood, also telephoned Dr. Kidson, and he gave him a report as to the weather conditions likely to be encountered.

THE STORY OF THE FLIGHT LANDMARKS BLOTTED OUT BLIND FLYING IN THICK WEATHER A SKILFUL LANDING By Telegraph.—-Press Association. Blenheim, April 30. With the arrival home at about 3.30 this afternoon of two strangely-dressed and much bedraggled individuals, in whom it was difficult to recognise Captain N. E. Chandler and Mr. C. A. Macdonald, the full story of the terrible adventure in Cook Strait on Monday and the dreadful experience at Ship’s Cove during the night became available. The Blenheim Moth took off from Hastings at 9.45 on Monday morning in company with machines piloted by Captain Findlay, Burrell, Hall, and Mercer. With the exception of Captain Hall, the other pilots had arranged to land at Parorangi, near Feilding. Here the Bristol machine was to be refuelled. Conditions were bumpy, but a smart trip of an hour saw all the machines on the ground at Parorangi. Heavy Kain Clouds. Taking the air again, Captain Findlay and Mercer were first away, followed half an hour later, at 11.30, by the Blenheim moth. The latter took a north-westerly course over Foxton and Paekakarikl to Cape Terawhiti, and at this point should have headed for Tory Channel. At this time the South Island was quite invisible under heavy rain clouds, so Captain Chandler headed his machine for Lyall Bay, where conditions' were clear. At this moment the clouds over the South Island lifted, and the Brothers and the northern part of the South Idland were clearly ylsible, and

it was decided to run part of the way across the strait in the hope of a further improvement in visibility; When half-way across the water the clouds again shut down and both islands were obscured. Descending to within fifty feet of the water, the airmen found the Brothers dimly visible, but the mainland could not be observed. Engine Trouble Develops. The machine was turned in the direction of Tory Channel and Port Underwood, but though the aeroplane must have been within a hundred feet of- the cliffs not a glimpse of them was obtained. The aeroplane was turned about, and a little later again picked up the Brothers, which was circled twice to enable the light-keeper to read the identification letters, the airmen being well aware that they were up against it and at the mercy of their engine. Just then the Gypsy gave signs of trouble. “An air lock,” said Captain Chandler, laconically. The machine flew low, and picked up the entrance to Queen Charlotte Sound. If anything, conditions were now worse, and blinding rain beat about the aeroplane. With Motuara just dimly visible below, the engine spluttered and cut out. A Skilful Landing. “Any landing place here?” asked the pilot. “You might put her down in Ship Cove and you mightn’t,” was the reply of the passenger. He pointed out the direction, and the aeroplane was put into a glide. Through the fog Ship Cove became dimly visible, and as the tide was full the little beach was covered. One patch of flat rock about forty feet square was visible. Captain Chandler, with uncanny accuracy, headed for it for a pancake landing. He undershot it by ten feet, and the machine stalled, and in a fraction of a section fell nose down in the water twenty feet from the shore. The pilot was quickly overboard in water up to his arm-pits. Mr. Macdonald, in the forward cockpit, found some difficulty in extracting himself from under the wings. The crew, waded ashore in sheets of rain. It was a wonderful landing in the circumstances, and Captain Chandler's nice judgment undoubtedly saved their lives. At this stage the aeroplane was virtually undamaged, and if the crew had had a length of rope to pull the tail down she could have been got ashore. Back on shore the airmen were in a sorry plight. Wet to the skin and cigarettes and matches sodden, a fire out of the question, and the rain pouring down pitilessly, the pair crouched down in an old packing-case they discovered. At about two o’clock Captain Chandler set oft in an attempt to reach Cannibal Cove, leaving his partner in misfortune to the packing-case. Two hours later Captain Chandler became lost in the thick bush, and hallooed for direction; he eventually found his way back to the packing-case. There they had to face the long hours of darkness, with the" rain beating down pitilessly anil unceasingly. The cold was intense; it was an awful night, never to be forgotten. At dawn, Captain Chandler again set off, eventually reaching Cannibal Cove after a strenuous effort of four hours. About the same time, Mr. Macdonald attracted the attention of a fishing launch, and a little later, Captains Mercer and Hall flew overhead in searching planes also, and Captain Mercer dropped a packet of sandwiches. Mr. D. Perano s launch picked up Mr. Macdonald and later Captain Chandler, who had telephoned the news of his own and his companion's safety. The aeroplane was rather badly damaged in the storm during the night. The adventurers have been inundated with telegrams of congratulation, and were given a wonderful welcome at Picton and Blenheim. Both much appreciated the steps taken to locate them by pilots in the Marlborough and Hawke s Bav and Auckland Clubs, and by Captain Burrell, and the Government. AEROPLANES PREPARED FOR SEARCH By Telegraph.—Press Association. Hastings, April 30. The news of the -missing airmen stirred the pilots of the four machines still here to immediate action. Preliminary test flights were made and Captain White, in the Hastings Club s Moth, Lieutenant Smith, in the Auckland Aerial Survey’s machine, took off for Feilding. Major Keith Caldwell and Captain Blonifield, in the other two Auckland machines, followed immediately. They were to confer with Captain Burrell at Feilding and then proceed in a search up and down the coast and over as great an area as possible. Accompaning them as pilots were Mr. Swan (secretary of the Auckland Aero Club) in Captain Blomfield’s machine. Mr. Copley (Auckland ground engineer) in Major Caldwell’s, Mr. J. Stead (Hastings) in Lieutenant Smith’s, and Mr. Bowles (ground engineer of the Hawke’s Bay Aero Club) in Captain White’s. After they had left a telegram was received from Major Cowper, of Auckland. warning them not to leave for the north, as the weather conditions were unfavourable. The present plans are for the Auckland machines to return to Hastings after completing the search. All machines are carrying ample provisions. Feilding, April 30. The four aeroplanes from Hastings arrived at Parorangi to join Captain Burrell in the search for Captain Chandler. Just after their arrival, at 11.30, they were informed of the Press Association message notifying the safety of the airmen. The news was received with loud cheers. Blenheim, April 30. The search ’planes which left Blenheim hovered over Ship Cove and saw Captain Chandler and Mr. Macdonald beiing conveyed in a launch to Cannibal Cove, the bay adjoining. Their machine was in shallow water near the beach, with the tail in the air. Feilding, April 30. Captain Burrell, who left fifteen minutes after Captain Chandler yesterday, says that the weather conditions were good at the time of starting, but he saw a storm approaching from the west. He hoped to get round it, but it struck him below Palmerston North. He felt justified in returning. Captain Chandler was flying the Wakefield gift Moth. He was doing a little over 70 miles per hour. He carried three and a half hours’ supply of benzine. He should have reached Blenheim at 1 o’clock.

PRIME MINISTER’S MESSAGES On receipt of the news of the safe finding of the missing airmen, the Prime Minister (Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward) forwarded the following messages:— To Captain Chandler and Sir. C. A. Macdonald: “I need hardly tell you my colleagues and I have received the news of your safety with' very much pleasure and relief, and I am sure that these feelings are shared by the people of New Zealand.” To the chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board and Mr. W. A. Kennedy, of the Union Steam Ship Company: “On behalf of the Government I desire to express my warm appreciation of the prompt manner in which you responded to my request to dispatch a steamer in search of the missing airmen, Captain Chandler and Mr. Macdonald, I am exceedingly glad to inform you that the gratifying news of their safety in Ship Cove has just come to hand.” To Mr. R. H. Dix, president of the Marlborough Aero Club. Blenheim: “It is with feelings of the' greatest satisfaction that wo have received the news of the safety in Ship Cove of the missing airmen, Captain Chandler and Mr. Macdonald. The Government were only too pleased to do everything possible to cooperate with you in arranging for a thorough search to be undertaken at the ■ earliest moment.” On Monday night the Prime Minister sent a wireless message to Captain Morgan, of the “steamer Maori, requesting him to keep a look-out for the missing ’nlane. Yesterday Captain Morgan informed the'Prime Miniate- <lml he had complied with, the venues: ••• ' he was thanked by Sir Joseph fo: She steps he had take*.