NEW GUINEA’S WORST AIR TRAGEDY KILLS THIRTY-SEVEN

Grey River Argus, 20 April 1948, Page 5

NEW GUINEA’S WORST AIR TRAGEDY KILLS THIRTY-SEVEN

Natives En Route to Goldfield SYDNEY, April 19.

Thirty-seven were killed when a Lockheed Hudson, owned by Guinea Air Traders, crashed at Lae, New Guinea, when taking off for Wau. Thirty-three of the victims were New Guinea natives —29 men and four women—and the remainder consisted of three crew members and the pilot. The crash is described as the greatest air tragedy in the long history of New Guinea commercial aviation. It is understood that the plane was on a special charter to take natives to work on the Bulolo goldfields. The aircraft was seen to take off m the normal manner, but failed to gain height. It then crashed in dense ijungle near the coast, a few miles from the Lae airstrip. A thick column of smoke rose out of the jungle as the machine burst into flames. All on board were incinerated. (Rec. 11.0) SYDNEY, April 19 A full investigation in to the New' Guinea air disaster has been ordered by the Minister of External Territories. Hon, Mr E. Ward. The welfare of the natives is the concern of his department. It is now reported that the plane crashed on a island in a river .near Lae. Eve-witnesses said that, at. a height of five hundred feet, one engine stopped. 'The plane then turned over, and crashed in denselv wooded country and it burst into flames.

Forced Landing in Taranaki

NEW PLYMOUTH, April 19. A Canterbury Aero Club Tiger Moth aeroplane, bound for Tauranga. made a forced landing on the Maori development scheme property at Waimiha yesterday morning. It overshot the narrow field, ran into a ditch, and reeled over on its back,

causing fairly extensive damage. The occupants, Messrs M. Potter and R. Thompson, of Christchurch, were not injured. The field was that used by the Public Works Department Milas Whitney Straight, which made an aerial top-dressing experiment at Gngarue last year. The wings, rudder, and nronellor of the aeroplane were damaged. Potter and Thompson stripped the aircraft for transport by rail, to' Rongotai, where it will be repaired.