AVIATION

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 December 1934, Page 2

AVIATION

DUTCH PLANE TRAGEDY [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] BAGHDAD, December 22. A salvage party found the ill-fated Douglas plane upside down. The bodies of two of the passengers and three of the crew were several yards from the plane. One wheel of the undercarriage, and one propeller, were found some distance away. The tail and the rear portion of the fuselage were intact, It is suggested that the pilot was endeavouring - to land at the height of a. thunderstorm, and that he chose a stretch of ground which, in the fitful light of almost, continuous lightning, looked like a possible landing place, hut was really little better than a swamp. The plane was violently overturned, and it broke to pieces, and thus a fire was inevitable. When their remains were extricated from the smouldering debris of the plane, the victims were found to have been burnt so that identification was almost impossible. Ambulance men carried the remains to armoured cars, in which the rescue party had arrived. A large proportion of the mails has been salved.

CAUSE OF DEATH. BAGHDAD, December 23. A post-morten disclosed that the air-liner victims died of concussion. Most of their limbs were broken. They are being buried to-morrow in the British cemetery. ' BRITISH SYMPATHY RUGBY, December 24. Colonel Shelderdune, Director General of Civil Aviation, sent a message of condolence to the Netherlands Director of Civil Aviation on the Joss of the Douglas air liner, and received a reply gratefully acknowledging the assistance rendered by the Royal Air Force. WALLER’S SUCCESS. LONDON, December 22. Waller has arrived at Leopoldville. He has flown over four thousand miles in 51 hours, including stops. KINGSFORD SMITH. KANSAS CITY, December 22. Strong cross winds prevented Sir C. Kingsford Smith from completing an attempted record flight from Burbank, in California, to New York. He landed here at 3.1 o’clock in the afternoon, after leaving California at G. 40 in the morning. He will remain overnight. On Thursday he will fly to Cincinnatti, and later will proceed to New York. Smith is accompanied by Mr H. E. Walker, a Californian rancher. CRASH THROUGH WALL. LONDON, December 22. A French three-engined aeroplane, when descending at Croydon, without passengers, overshot the aerodrome, crashed through the wall of a house, and was brought to a standstill alongside- a gas stove. The pilot had an amazing escape, being only slightly injured. Ths occupants of the house, Fred Martin and his daughter, were sent to hospital, but are not in a serious condition. CHEAP MAIL BENEFITS. LONDON, December 23. i “The Observer,” commenting on the prospect of a reduction in airmail postage says: It is true the consent, of the Dominions is needed to the financial readjustments, but it is scarcely conceivable that they will reject a policy bringing them closer to European centres and markets. It would be impossible to estimate what the telephone has done to increase the weath of nations The airmail will correspondingly enhance all values.