KILLED BY LIGHTNING

Northern Advocate, 28 December 1934, Page 5

KILLED BY LIGHTNING

AIR LINER VICTIMS FUSELAGE BURNED FLIGHT FIXTURES NORMAL. COMMISSION’S REPORT. ["The Times'’ Cable.] (Received 9 a.m.) LONDON, December 26. The correspondent of “The Times” at The Hague states that the commission of inquiry set up by the K.L.M. company to investigate the disaster of the Douglas air liner in Palestine, has issued a preliminary report. This states that the machine was found in a flying condition, the retractable landing gear being withdrawn.

The wings were in flying position, the engines were on the normal gas ignition, the landing lights had not been switched on, and the wireless aerial had been taken in, which is normal when flying in a thunderstorm. However, at the spot where the small fixed aerial touched the baggage hold, the fuselage was severely burned. Thus lightning apparently struck this aei’ial.

The company slates that the pilots could not be blamed for flying at night, as the weather reports were not unfavourable when they left Cairo, except for indications of a small local thunderstorm over the Syrian desert. A medical examination reveals the fact that the occupants of the air liner were killed by lightning. This is the first time in the history of aeroplanes, although airship disasters have been attributed to that cause. The inquiry shows that the “flying hotel” crashed when out of control, indicating that the pilots were killed instantly in the air. ALBURY’S FINE GESTURE. DISTRESS FUND OPENED. (Received 11.30 a.m.) MELBOURNE, This Day. Albury residents, who were generously treated by Dutch people for their efforts to save the Dutch air liner from destruction during the Centenary air race, have started a fund for the families of the victims who were killed when the air liner crashed recently in the Syrian Desert. It is thought probable that financial help will not be needed in most cases, but that in any event Albury’s action will be accepted as evidence of appreciation of Dutch magnanimity towards the town of Albury.