AIR-LINER CRASHES

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 63, 8 December 1931, Page 9

AIR-LINER CRASHES

Five Killed; Colonel Brinsmead Hurt DUTCH AEROPLANE By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Singapore, December 7. A Dutch air-mail liner overturned on leaving Doninuang, Siam, on the way home. Five were killed. Colonel Brinsmead, Australian Director of Aviation, who was a passenger, received concussion and broken ribs. His condition on Sunday night bad improved. The plane failed to rise, and struck an embankment. A wheel came off, and the machine overturned in a paddy field. , FOKKER ,Fl2 MONOPLANE . (Rec. December 7, 11.20 p.m.) Melbourne, December 7. A message received by the Civil Aviation Department says Colonel Brinsmead joined the Dutch air-mail plane with the object of reporting to Air Commodore Kingsford Smith on the condition of the aerodromes between Alor Star and Rangoon. The Dutch machine was a Fokker JPI2 monopiano, with three Wasp engines. . Officials in the Australian Air Department express the opinion that Colonel Brinsmead probably was invited by the Dutch authorities to hasten onward to England aboard their craft. The Prime Minister’s Department has cabled for the fullest information regarding Colonel Brinsmead’s accident.

HEAVY LOAD ABOARD Colonel Brinsmead in Bad Way FIRST PILOT DEAD (Rec. December 8, 1 a.m.). Singapore, December 7. The Dutch mail aeroplane crash was due to the heavy Christmas mail, which was held up by floods. The ground was soft owing to rains. The. plane arrived from Alor Star on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday morning the same plane made unsuccessful attempts to rise. It taxied a mile across the aerodrome to the end of the field, where there are two canals'bordered by embankments several feet high. It appears that the pilot made a final effort to lift the plane, which rose about three feet over the canal, but the wheels collided with the embankment. The plane nose-dived into a rlccfleld with such force that the motors were forced into the cabin, killing outright the French city engineer at Bangkok, a Dutch commercial traveller, the second pilot, and a mechanic. The ground staff immediately rushed to tho scone. ... ■ ' Colonel Brinsmead was extricated from the wreckage with serious injuries. be was unconscious. The first pilot was also badly hurt, and subsequently died. Colonel Brlnsnieadls condition Is critical. Kingsford Smith arrived five hours later and proceeded to Rangoon. This is the first serious accident that has overtaken the Dutch mail service since its Inception over two years ago. The mileage covered is 833,(MX).