Ordeal of Airmen Who Crashed in River

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 236, 6 October 1936, Page 2

Ordeal of Airmen Who Crashed in River

TRAPFEB IN COCKPIT

SYDNEY, Sept.. 2S,

Two members of tho Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot-Officers W. Alshorn and G. J. Quinlan, were trapped in their cockpit when a Gipsy Moth training machine, the engine of which had failed, hit a telephone wire 200 ft. above the water and crashed into the Hawkesbury river, not far from the Richmond Air Force aerodrome. In spite of injuries, they fought their way to the surface and clambered to the tail of the aeroplane, where they awaited rescue by men who had rowed out in boats. '}•

Mr Quinlan said the engine cut out and tho aeroplane struck the wire when they were loking for ground to make a forced landing. ‘‘We were flying dual control,” he said, ‘‘and just managed to scramble from the cockpit in time. I cannot remember anything after wo hit tho water. It was a ‘black-out.’ ”

Mr Frederick Hearne was working on his property near the river and heard two loud reports when the aeroplane was about 200 ft. above the water. He looked quickly at the aeroplane, the approach of which he had noticed casually earlier, and saw that it was crashing toward the centre of tho river. It seined to strike the water with tremendous force.

“There was a great splash,” he said, “and practically all the aeroplane disappeared beneath the surface. My brother and I raced for our boat. As wo ran we could see about two feet of the tail sticking out of tho water. The crow could not be seen. They were in the cockpit, trapped beneath the water. Fortunately, tho machine had struck a shallow shoal. Thero are places where it would have sunk completely, but the nose apparently buried itself in the sandbank in the centre of the shoal. The two men on board must have suffered a terrific jolt. “We rowed with all our strength and saw a head suddenly bob up out of the water. At first the man seemed in a bad way. Then another man appeared, and they helped each other. They climbed to tho tail, and clung there until we and other rescuers reached them. They were lucky to escape with their lives.' Apart from facial wounds and shock, they appeared none the worse for their terrifying experience.” The aeroplane, when salvaged, was almost a wreck. The. propeller had been smashed by the force of tho impact with tho water. The wings were crumpled and the cockpit smashed.