AIR DISASTER

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 71, 25 March 1937, Page 12

AIR DISASTER

MOUNTAIN CRASH

IMPERIAL AIRWAYS LOSS

GIANT' FLYING-BOAT

FOUR LIVES LOST ON MAIDEN VOYAGE

United Press Association—By Electric Telecraph—Copyright. (Received March 25, 1.30 p.m.) . LONDON, March 24 : On. its maiden voyage to Egypt, the Imperial Airways giant flyingboat ' Capricornus ' crashed on the snow-clad Beaujolais Mountains, near • Ouroux,; 35 miles north of Lyons; " ' Four members,of the crew werej killed. They were Captain A. Paterson, first officer G. E. Klein, flight clerk D: R. O'Brien, and the steward, F. A. Jeffcoate. The only passenger, Miss B. M. Coates was injured, and the wireless operator, J. L. Cooper, was unharmed. iAn 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." STRUGGLE THROUGH SNOW TO . GIVE ALARM. The Can'ricornus left Southampton ■at" 11' aim:, 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.' . , , Mr. Cooper,1 although badly shaken, struggled through the snow to a lonely farmhouse where he gave the alarm. F.ann carts-were immedaitely 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 Mrs..Coates was taken to hospital. ; The flying-boat dug ruts 350 yards long in the mountainside. Three of the engineswere torn off, but the aeroplane did not. catch fire. Besides a. quantity of freight, the fly-ing-boat-carried 65. bags of mails for all destinations along the route to Australia; all of them are believed to be irita'ct. ... The ' Capricornus cost £40,000 to build.