WRECK OF R101.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20713, 5 November 1930, Page 11

WRECK OF RlOl.

EVIDENCE AT INQUIRY. POACHER'S STORY OF CRASH. FALL FROM 600 FEET. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received November i, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. Nov. 3. The inquiry into the wreck of the airship RlOl was resumed this morning, Sir John Simon presiding. One of the survivors, Mr. A. V. Bell, engineer, said he was in the aft car at the time of the crash with Mr., J. H. Binks, another engineer who escaped. At 2.5 a.m. the airship dived for about 25 or 30 seconds, then got on an even keel. About five seconds later the craft dived again for about 20 seconds. Immediately after that, said witness, he received a telegraph message from the control car to go slow. Ho had time to put his engine to slow before tho airship struck the ground. When it did so there was a violent jerk. Then there was an explosion. In a few seconds everything was surrounded by flames, the tanks burst and water went pouring over the passengers' quarters. Evidence was given by several French eye-witnesses of the disaster from Beauvais. Generally their statemonls coincided. - They said tho airship was flying low and horizontally, rolling and dipping slightly. Twice it nose-dived and the lights went out after each dive. They went on again after the first dive. Alfred Rabouille, who was poaching for rabbits jn a wood at the time of the crash, stated that the airship was flying at an altitude of about 600 ft. at a slight angle toward the earth. From that height it dived more steeply, but it only dived once. When the airship struck the ground it did not rebound, but flattened out and exploded. It fell 275 yards from witness. There was no breakage in midair before the fall. The chairman expressed the opinion that the witnesses' statements that the lights went out probably were due to their disappearance from view as the vessel turned its nose into the wind.