GIANT FLYING-BOAT CRASHES

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 154, 27 March 1937, Page 9

GIANT FLYING-BOAT CRASHES

Five Killed in France ON MAIDEN VOYAGE TO EGYPT (Received March 26, 6.30 p.m.) London. March 25. On its maiden voyage to Egypt, the Imperial Airways giant flying-boat Capricornus crashed on the snow-clad Beaujolais Mountains, near Ouroux, 35 miles north of Lyons, in France. Four members of the crew were killed. They were Captain A. Paterson, first officer G. E. Klein, flight clerk D. It. O'Brien, and the steward, F. A. Jeff coate. The only passenger, Miss B. M. Coates, died from her injuries, and the wireless operator, J. L. Cooper, is suffering from a broken arm and other injuries. An official statement by Imperial Airways says: “The crash occurred in a severe storm when visibility was nil. Officials are proceeding to the scene of the accident.” The Capricornus left Southampton at 11 a.m., planning to alight on the River Saone at Macon, 30 miles from the scene of the disaster, but the boat encountered bad weather while following the usual route across Europe and apparently was flying blind when the crash occurred, probably due to the formation of ice and snow on the wings. Struggle Through Snow.

Mr. Cooper, although injured, struggled through the snow to a lonely farmhouse, where he gave the alarm. Farm carts were immediately sent to the scene of the crash, and the bodies were taken to an improvised chapel of rest in the village hall at Ouroux, while Miss Coates was taken to hospital, where she subsequently died. The flying-boat dug ruts 350 yards long in the mountainside. Three of the engines were torn off, but the aeroplane did not catch Are. Besides a quantity of freight, the flying-boat carried 65 bags of mails for ail destinations along the route to Australia ; all of them are intact aud will be forwarded in a few days. The flying-boat’s freight included £ll,OOO worth of gold bullion.

DEATH ON ANNIVERSARY OF WEDDING (Received March 26, 7.30 p.m.) Sydney, March 26. Flying Officer G. E. Klein, one of the victims of the Capricornus crash, ■was aged 29, and a son of Mr. J. Klein, Director of Education in Western Australia. He was killed on the first anniversary of his wedding. He had had considerable flying experience.

EMPIRE SERVICE FLEET Capricornus Cost £140,000 The Capricornus was one of a fleet of 29 flying-boats constructed for Imperial Airways, and she cost £140,000. Actually, the hull of the machine coat £40,000, and the instruments, engines and incidentals, the remainder. She was equipped with four Pegasus air-cooled engines, each of 740 horse-power, and was capable of a top speed of approximately 200 miles an hour, and a cruising speed of between 150 and 100 miles an hour. Each boat of the fleet is to be similarly engined. The wings are loaded more heavily than usual to give the craft more stability, and enable thern to stand the strain from water and wind when moored. The boats are all of the monoplane all-metal construction, and highwing unbraced type, with wing-tip floats. Imperial Airways intend to place the fleet, which will probably be built by the end of this year, in the new Empire service. This includes the link to Australia. The Canopus was the first boat to be completed, and has been engaged in the Mediterranean service for about five months.