CHANNEL AIR LINER CRASHES

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 225, 19 June 1929, Page 11

CHANNEL AIR LINER CRASHES

SEVEN PASSENGERS LOSE LIVES

PILOT SENDS OUT DISTRESS SIGNAL

RESCUE WORK BY TRAWLER

An Imperial Airways liner crashed in the English Channel, seven passengers losing their lives. A trawler rescued four other passengers and the pilot and mechanic.

(British Official Wireless,)

Rugby, June 17.

An Imperial Airways liner, bound from Croydon for Paris, crashed in the Channel this morning, and seven passengers lost their lives. Eour passengers and the pilot and mechanic were rescued and landed at Eolkestone. They were all injured. One dead passenger was recovered and landed at Folkestone. The air liner left Croydon at halfpast ten this morning. An hour afterwards, when she was in mid-Channel, the pilot sent out a signal of distress to Croydon. He then turned and made an attempt to reach land. A few minutes later he came down about three miles south-east of Dungeness.

The aeroplane is the City of Ottawa. It is a twin-engined Handley Page, and was placed in commission in March, 1926. It has since flown more than 250,000 miles, and made approximately 9000 Channel crossings.

Three of the dead passengers are women, and three of the rescued passengers are women also.

SOMERSAULTED ON REACHING WATER

TRAWLER KEEPS ’PLANE FROM SINKING

RESCUE OF IMPRISONED PASSENGERS

(United Press Association.— By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Australian Press Association.

London, June 17.

The wonderful record of the Imperial Airways was rudely shattered to-day when the City of Ottawa nose-dived in the Channel. She had thirteen people aboard when she left Croydon at 10.30 a.m. for Zurich. She sent out an S.O.S. when fifteen miles across the Channel. The pilot immediately turned back, but three miles from Folkestone wirelessed that he was landing in the sea alongside a trawler, which was the first on the scene.

The plunging 'plane sent up a huge column of water, somersaulting and smashing her wings immediately. She was beginning to sink, but the trawler got grappling irons under the ’plane and cleverly kept part of the machine above the water-line, while the crew used axes against the outside walls of the cabin and thus reached the Imprisoned passengers. These had been thrown in a heap when the 'plane dived. Some were already beyond human aid owing to injuries or had been drowned in the inrush of water, but four passengers and the mechanic were taken off. Efforts at rescue continued for an hour before the body of a woman was extricated from the cabin. An attempt was then made to tow the ’plane withthe bodies inside. When the pilot cutter came in sight of the shore she signalled for an ambulance. The injured, Including two women, were placed in a rowing boat and taken to hospital. The body of Mrs. Ickerson, a relative of Mrs. and Miss Fleming, both of Sydney, who were rescued, was also taken ashore covered with the Union Jack. Four bodies are still In the City of Ottawa.

“FELL LIKE A SHOOTING STAR’’

DESCRIPTION OF MEMBER OF CREW Australian Press Association. (Rec. June 18, 7.15 p.m.) London, June 18; Four were injured in the air liner disaster. The passengers in the Folkestone hospital are suffering from shock and minor injuries. None are severely injured, but are allowed to see only relatives.

One described the speed of the fall as terrible. He has little recollection of what happened after striking the water except a sudden engulfing and then two jersey-clad arms grasping him, followed by sounds of shouting and scurrying on board the rescue ship. Pilot Brailli during the evening sat in a cottage at Lydd distraught. After labouring all day long he refused to rest, despite the women’s pleadings. Eventually he was taken to Lympne by officials of the Imperial Airways. He could only say: “It was too terrible to describe. I tried to make the coast. I can say no more.” A member of the trawler’s crew said: “With axes we slashed open one side of the cabin and saw living among the dead. We worked for a long time and rescued several. Then the machine settled down In the sea and we could not carry on. The machine fell like a shooting star.” SOME PASSENGERS STILL MISSING Australian Press Association. (Rec. June 18, 9.35 p.m.) London, June 18. An inquest into the disaster will take place to-morrow. Two or three passengers are still missing. It is believed they dropped out while the ’plane was being towed to the shore. A survivor, H. Catham, said it was the most awful experience in his life. The ’plane struck the water with a terrific crash, and men and woI men were mixed on the floor in a struggling mass. Heavy luggage on top of them imprisoned them aIL The rea-

cuers only gave up when almost submerged themselves, by which time they knew all within must be dead.

AUSTRALIAN VICTIMS (Rec. June 18, 9.35 p.m.) Sydney, June 18. Mrs. Ickerson, one of the victims of the Channel air liner disaster, resided at Mosman here a few years ago. She with other members of her family were in a serious motor accident at Kellyville, outside Sydney, and spent some months in hospital. Mr. Smith, of Melbourne, another victim, was booked to return by the Orama to Australia in August. THE KOOKABURRA TRAGEDY BODIES RECOVERED BY TRUCK PARTY Sydney, June 18. The Government Resident at Alice Springs advises that the motor-truck party has returned to Newcastle Waters. The bodies have been recovered and the landing place of the Kookaburra cleared. Apparently it was found Impracticable to salvage the machine. An effort was made to tow the ’plane . behind the lorry.