AIR MAIL DISASTER

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 7, 8 December 1931, Page 7

AIR MAIL DISASTER

WRECKED DUTCH ’PLANE. , DETAILS OF CRASH. COLONEL BRINSMEAD’S INJURIES (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) SINGAPORE, Dec. 7. Later details regarding the Dutch air mail crash indicate that the tragedy was due to the considerable Christmas mail, which was held up by floods. The ground was soft owing to the rains. The ’plane arrived at Alor Star on Saturday afternoon.'with Colonel Brinsmoad, Controller of Civil Aviation in Australia, as a passenger. On Sunday morning the same ’plane made unsuccessful attempts 1 to rise and taxied a mile across the aerodrome to the encl of the field where there were two canals bordered by embankments several feet high. .. 1 It appears that the pilot made a final effort to lift the ’plane, which rose about three feet over the canal, but the wheels collided with the embankment and the ’plane nosedived into a ricefield with such force that the motors were forced into the cabin, killing outright a French city engineer of Bangkok, a Dutch commercial traveller, the second pilot and tho mechanician. The ground staff immediately rushed to the scene. Colonel Brinsmoad was extricated from the wreckage with serious injuries, also the first pilot, who subsequently died. Colonel Brinsmead s condition is critical. This is tho first serious accident that has overtaken the Dutch mail service since its inception over two years ago. The mileage covered has been 833,000. FOKKER MONOPLANE. MELBOURNE, Dec. 7. A message received by the Civil Aviation Department say that Colonel Brinsmead joined the Dutch air mail ’plane with the object of reporting to Air Commodore Kingsford Smith on the condition of the aerodromes between Alor Star and Rangoon. Ihe Dutch machine was a Fokkcr Fl2 monoplane, with three Wasp engines. Officials in the Australian Air Department express the opinion that Colonel Binsmead probably was invited by the Dutch authorities to hasten onward to England aboard their craft. The Prime Minister’s Department has cabled for the fullest information regarding Colonel Brinsmead’s accident.