TWO AIRMEN SAFE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20243, 1 May 1929, Page 12

TWO AIRMEN SAFE.

FORCED LANDING.

MACHINE AT SHIP COVE.

SLIGHT DAMAGE DONE.

NIGHT IN THE OPEN.

OBDEAL IN HEAVY RAIN.

GREAT SKILL OF PILOT.

[BY TELEGRAPH.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.3 BLENHEIM, Tuesday. The two airmen, Captain Noel Chandler and his companion, Mr. C. A. Macdonald, secretary of the Marlborough Aero Club, who'left Parorangi, near Feilding, at 11.35 o'clock yesterday morning for Blenheim in a Moth machine are safe. They made a forced landing yesterday afternoon at Ship Cove, near the entrance to Queen Charlotte Sound, and escaped injury. The machine was damaged slightly. The first news of tho locating of the airmen .was received from Mr. F. Fissenden, at Cannibal Cove.

The forced landing at Ship Cove was on account of engine trouble. Captain Chandler had hoped to reach Picton, but the engine became so unreliable that a landing at the earliest possible moment was imperative. The Ship Cove beach presented as good a chance as anywhere, and the machine was headed in and landed at 2 p.m. The crew spent a comfortless night ashore in rain-drenched bush

In the morning Captain Chandler walked to Cannibal Cove, arriving about 10 o'clock. Some time later a launch, believed to be one belonging to Mr. J. Perano's whalers, picked up Mr. Macdonald from Ship Cove. Both men were provided with much-needed food by Mrs. Fissenden, whose husband was out searching the coast toward Cape Jackson. Neither man appeared much the worse for the trying experience. The story of their adventures was related to-night by Mr. Macdonald. The Moth, he said, took off from Hastings at 9.45 a.m. on Monday morning, in company with other machines. With the exception of Captain Hall, the other pilots had arranged to lapd at Parorangi. Here the Bristol machine was to be refuelled. Very Poor Visibility. The conditions were bumpy. A smart trip of an hour saw all the machines on the ground at» Parorangi. Taking the air again, Captains Findlay and Mercer were the first away, followed half an hour later by tho Blenheim Moth. The latter took a south-westerly course over Foxton and Paekakariki to Cape Terawhiti, and at this point should have headed for Tory Channel.

At this time the South Island was quite invisible under heavy rain clouds, so Captain Chandler headed the machine for Lyall Bay, where the conditions were clear. At this moment the clouds over the South Island lifted, and the Brothers and the northern part of tho South Island were clearly visible. It was decided to run part of the way across the Strait in the hope of a further improvement in visibility. When the Moth was half-way across the water the clouds again shut down and both islands were obscured. Descending to within 50ft. of the water the airmen found the Brothers dimly visible, bub the mainland cpuld not be observed, and the machine turned in the direction of Tory Channel and Port Underwood. Although the aeroplane must have been within 100 ft. of the cliffs, not a glimpse of them was available.

Tile machine was turned about and a little later again picked up the Brothers, which were circled twice to enable the lightkeeper to read its identification letters, the airmen being well aware they were "up against it"' and at the mercy of their engine. Just then the engine gave signs of trouble. "An air lock," said Captain Chandler laconically. In Sorry Plight. The machine flew low and picked up the entrance of Queen Charlotte Sound. If anything the conditions were worse. Blinding rain beat about the aeroplane. With Motuara Island just dimly visible below the engine spluttered and cut out. "Any landing place here?" asked the pilot. "You might put her down at Ship's Cove and you might not," was the reply of the passenger. Ho pointed out the direction and the machine was put into a glide. Through the fog Ship Cove became dimly visible, and as the tide was full the little beach was covered. One patch of flat rock about 40ft. square was .visible. Captain Chandler, with uncanny accuracy, headed for it for n, "pancake" landing. Ho undershot it 10ft. and the machino stalled and in the fraction of a second fell noso down in the water 20ft. from the shore. The pilot was quickly overboard in water up to the armpits. Mr. Macdonald was in the forward cockpit and had some difficulty in extricating himself from under the wings. The crew waded ashore in sheets of rain. It was a wonderful landing in the circumstances and the pilot's judgment undoubtedly saved their lives.

At this stage tho machine was virtually undamaged. If the crew had had a length of rope to pull the tail down it could have been got ashore. Tho airmen wore in sorry plight, wet to tho skin, and with their cigarettes and matches soddeu. A fire was out of the j question. The rain poured down piti- I lessly. Tho pair crouched down in an old i packing case they discovered. Lost in the Bush. Captain Chandler set off later in an attempt to reach Cannibal Cove, leaving his partner in misfortune to the packing case. Two hours later tho pilot, now hopelessly lost in tho thick bush, halloed for direction and found his way back to tho packing case. There tho pair bad to face long hours of darkness with tho rain beating down pitilessly and unceasingly. Tho cold was intenso. It was an awful night. At dawn Captain Chandler again set off, eventually reaching Cannibal Cove, after, a strenuous effort of four hours. About the same time Mr. Macdonald attracted tho attention of a fishing launch and a little later Captains Mercer and Hall flew overhead in searching machines, and Captain Mercer dropped a packet of sandwiches. Mr. Perano's launch then picked up Mr, Macdonald and later Captain Chandler, who had telephoned the news of his own and his companion's safety. Tho aeroplane was rather badly damacred in tho storm during tho night.

The adventurers have been inundated with telegrams of congratulation and received a wonderful welcome at Picfon and Blenheim. Both much appreciate the steps taken to locate them.