GIANT PLANE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 22 September 1926, Page 5

GIANT PLANE

CRASHES IN AMERICA.

TWO OCCUPANTS KILLED TRAPPED IN BURNING CABIN. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT, Received) 10.25 a.m. to-day. NEW YORK, Sept. 21. At Westbury this morning a huge three-motored biplane, in which Captain Fonck attempted' to hop off on a non-stop flight to Paris, crashed, trapping the occupants in the closed' cabin. Charles Clauvier, a French radio operator, and Jacob Islamoff, a Russian mechanic, were burned to death, but Captain Fonck’ and Lieut. Lawrence Curtin, of the United States Navy, alternate pilot, managed to leap to safety before the flames broke out.. The plane weighed over 28,0001 b loaded, and was valued at 100,000 dollars without motors. It is a total loss. Officials and the builders, Sikorski Engineering Aerial Corporation, have exonerated all participants from blame. Tt is indicated that another attempt will be made.

LONG -HER ALDED TRIP

ENDS IN DISASTER. MACHINE DOES NOT FLY. Received 10.50 a.m. to-day. NEW YORK, Sept. 21. Rene Fonck’s long-heralded attempt to fly with three companions . from New York to Paris started amid the acclaim of a thousand people, and ended three minutes later with the plane in flames and two of the crew dead. They were burned to death when the running gear gave way and the pmne plunged into a gully. Apparently the doors of the cockpit jammed a,s the plane struck, and the men weie trapped and forced to die an agonising death. There was some delay in getting ready for the start, but soon alter G a.m Captain Fonck and Lieutenant Curtin climbed into the plane, joining Clavier, who was at his radio, and Islamoff, who was already giving the engines a final inspection. Captain Fonck took, the controls, Lieutenant Curtin being beside him. The engine speeded up slowly and moved down the field amid cheers. The men could be seen bending to their work. The engine was given more speed, but still the .plane failed to answer. Finally it lifted from the ground and settled hack again. It came up about four feet, but could not maintain it, and dropped. The phuie was off the ground four or five ieet when there was a sudden muffled explosion, not sufficiently violent to be recognised as anything serious by the spectators, until the plane careened at a- "iddv angle and fell into a gully. \ 6 it fell, Lieutenant Curtin and Captain Fonck were seen to be thrown dear, but there was no trace of Clavier and Islamoff. The plane had hardly struck the ground when smoke poured forth and tongues of flame leaped up. It was soon apparent that it • would probably be totally lost, and it was certain that Clavier and Islamoff could not escape. * ~ The crowd 'surged clown held, but could not approach nearer than a few hundred yards, because the tanks; contained twenty-four hundred gallons of petrol, which was liable to explode at anv minute. A few ventured closer to determine .whether Clavier and Islamoff could be saved, but they were forced to draw back. Both Bieutenant Curtin and Captain Fonck were at first dazed, but soon . were able to walk to an automobile, which carried them, from the field. . They appeared, anxious to leave and avoid witnessing the death of their companions. CAUSE OF THE; CRASH.

Later Captain Fonclc stated that he attributed the accident to troubles with the auxiliary landing gear. He said: “I' noticed this had given when we hit with a bump. The right wheel went iii an oblique angle. I could feel that it- had torn the left rudder loose. At first I tried to slow up, but then I knew' it was useless to do that, liecause the gully Avas so close; so I opened her up again, -hoping to, get into the air, but 1 could not do it and we smashed.” Captain Fonck Was unable to explain hoAV he and Lieutenant Curtin saved their 'lives. He said: “I do not ’ know whv, but I could sense a catastrophe. We crawled out on to the nose of the plane.. The motors avere still running, and how we got off the ! plane to the ground Avithout being cut to pieces by the propellors is more than I knoAT.” When the automobile passed Sikorsky’s plant, ’ Igor Sikorsky, a Russian aeroplane builder, Avho made the construction of Captain Fonck’® plane the climax of liis career, was sobbing pitifully Lieutenant Curtin and Captain Fonck were .sufficiently recovered to offer him comfort. It _ was over an hour before the flames died down sufficiently to enable people to approach the plane to discover the bodies. Iji nes were drawn to keep back the crowd, which became hysterical, women shrieking as. the plane crashed and men running towards the spot. It was fifteen minutes- before any semblance of order could be restored.