NO FLARES CARRIED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 17 January 1928, Page 5

NO FLARES CARRIED

MAJOR WILKES ONy KAIW^ARRA * .; 1. The Director ,'of Air Services (Major, V tWilkes).- made the following statement to-day: . . , ,' ' With reference >to Captain Davies s '^!^mt/,i^at ! ;.tyo:?flMes%-wer^.:seenVt6 .drop the k aeroplane it; has been . v definitely established that-.'no flares were : carried, and ; a ,suggestion-4previously rnadeUthia't' cotton vaste soaked", in : petrol was lighted and thrown from the '"■•:.' machine can be" dismissed, as the great danger of a hakecT light in the: aeroplane ■■'•'■ - would certainly not. be entertained' by pilots of Moncrieff and Hood's expen- •/"''■ encei'.•••':',. ■•-.■■- ■,''.■■:-.■■..'..■.. i''. • l^o-navigation lights, were carried as v part 'of the' aircraft's = equipment and i'the .light: of the, small-pocket torches : ' stated to have been handed to Moncrieff . befoije taking off could; not be seen from a distance .front which; the engine oould jiofc be heardJ In any case the beam, of :• light would in all, probability be directed - on the instruments which were situated in the front, of the cockpit well for- , ward'of the leading edge of the plane, ; and*therefore could not illuminate it. In his statement Captain Davies re- . fers to the upper part of the 'plane, but /no light in the cabin, however powerful, ■""■'■ could light up the upper surface and observers from below could not see it.