FATAL CRASH

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 8, 7 December 1937, Page 9

FATAL CRASH

DISASTER AT BRINDISI. PASSENGER’S STORY. BRAVERY OF CREW. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Received December 7, 8.5 a.m. ROME, Dec. C. Robert Lutyens, on arrival here from Brindisi, gave the first account by the rescued lrom the Cygnus, the flying-boat which crashed when takingoff from Brindisi, Italy. He said: “Fortunately the hatchway was open and 1 clambered out and swam to the motor launch coming to meet meThere was an awful moment when 1 felt the weight of my overcoat dragging me down, but 1 managed to get it off. I witnessed the rescue work from the Imperial Airways tender and I have no words to the bravery of the Cygnus’s crew. The second officer Mountain dived thrice to open the top hatch of the main compartment and then dived again to rescue Mrs Ritchie, who had been swimming about seeking her brother.” Mr Lutyens added that after a brief inquiry last night the Italian authorities exonerated the crew from blame or carelessness. . “My opinion of the accident is that i it was one of those exceptional acts of fate which should not be allowed to retard the progress of aviation',” said Air Lutyens, who was wearing a strange assortment of clothes lent by porters and others. He carried a small paper parcel containing all his luggage which was salvageable. NAMES "OF VICTIMS. KILLED AND INJURED. LONDON, Dec. 6. The passengers killed in the disaster were Captain William lan F alconer Macdonald, of Cbarleville, Australia, and Frederick Stoppani. The injured were Airs Ritchie, of ville, who is a sister of Captain ATacdonald; Sir John Lutyens, J. H. Ballinger. James Patrick, and Pbraliu Datt Sharnia, an Indian, of Karachi. AMERICANS’ GOOD FORTUNE LEFT BOAT AT BRINDISI. Received December 7, 8.5 a.m. LONDON, Dec. 6. Five American oil men had left the Cygnus at Brindisi to proceed by train, also an American couple from Alexandria. Tints the ’plane was lightened by seven persons, otherwise the casualty list might even have been heavier. . The Cygnus has been hoisted out of the water and lies at the quay at Brindisi. The C class flying-boab built by Messrs Short Bros, for imperial Airways, is intended for use on the new Empire service, and twenty-nine of them were ordered, the Canopus, the first of them, entering regular service on the Mediterranean towards the end of 1936. The remainder wore to bo completed at intervals of about three weeks. Each boat is equipped with four Pegasus air-cooled engines of 740 h.p., the top speed is about 200 ini!c3 an hour, and the cruising speed from 150 to 160 jniles an hour. The flying-boats are monoplanes of all-metal construction, and are of the highwing unbraced type with.' wing-tip floats and a higher wing leading than previons flving-boats. The unladen weight is about 40,000 pounds. Last Alarch, the Capncornus, one of these croft, crashed in tlie Bcaujolais Mountains, near Lyons, and there were four deaths. A few weeks ago the Courtier, en route to England from Alexandria, made a faulty landing at Phalenon Bay, and three were killed. MAIL SALVAGED.

Received December 7, 10.40 a.m. LONDON, Dec. 6. All the mail from the Cygnus, weighing over ten tons, has been salvaged. The Italian Post Office is drying it and forwarding it as soon as possible. ACCIDENTS IN AUSTRALIA. MINISTER’S INVESTIGATIONS. Received December 7, 11.25 a.m. CANBERRA, Dec. 7. The Minister of Defence (Mr H. V. Thorby) has announced he has called for a report on the series of accidents which have occurred in the last few weeks to the Royal Australian Air Force in Hawker Demon ’planes. During the flight of the squadron of nine Hawker Demons from Melbourne to Brisbane and back there have been seven accidents.