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AIRWAY ESCAPE

COLLAPSE OF MACHINE SMASH AFTER LANDING MADE [from Otm OWN correspondent] LONDON, Dec. 0 The famous athlete, Lord Burghley, M.P. for Peterborough, described to the Sunday Express the astonishing escape from death which ho and 11 passengers had when flying home from Sweden. "We left Mai mo at nine o'clock on Thursday morning," ho said. "I had been to Sweden to inspect gymnastic and athletic training methods. We landed at Copenhagen, and when we took off again there were 11 passengers, including a Swedish woman. "We were travelling about 150 miles an hour at a height of several thousand feet when a propeller blade from one of the air-liner's three engines came off. It nearly decapitated the pilot as it flew within inches of his head. "The damaged engine then caught fire and began to break up. Bits of engine went flying past tho windows. Flames gradually enveloped the engine and threatened to spread to tho rest of the machine. We a'l kept perfectly calm, although from tho windows wo could seo only woods and hills for miles around. "As he circled in search of a landing place, the flames spread nearer and nearer to the wing fabric. Tho engine had also worked loose, and wo expected to see it drop off at any moment. A German aircraft had picked up our S.O.S. and flew over us, but could not help. "The pilot finally landed in a small field. Tho machine was running just above the ground at 80 miles an hour when wo hit a telegraph pole. The impact tore away one of tho wings and sent it hurtling 50 yards. Wo heard a cry of pain from one of tho passengers. Tho jolt had thrown him against the seat in front, crushing his ribs. "Tho machine then struck the top of a fence, wrecking tho undercarriage, careered drunkenly over tho rough ground, and mowed down some apple trees. Then it dashed into an ash tree, and spun round and round like a top. Its tail had been ripped off. It tore through a wooden hut, demolishing it as effectively as a tank charge. The machine finally eamo to a standstill lying on its sido with its ono wing sticking up in the air. "Wo found we were at a place called Langenhages, in Lubeck. Villagers carried the injured man to a farm, and brought back spades and forks. Wo all sot to work throwing earth on to tho flames. Then wo hurried to the nearest inn for a glass of beer. Tho pilot, who behaved magnificently, told mo afterwards that ho had almost given up hope of any one surviving." Lord Burgh ley and tho other passengers were picked up fivo hours later by a coach sent from Hamburg, 90 miles away. He resumed his journey to England from thcro in another aeroplane. He first mentioned tho accident quite casually as an apology for being a few minutes late at a ball given by his constituents in Peterborough.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19370105.2.139

Bibliographic details

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22618, 5 January 1937, Page 12

Word Count
502

AIRWAY ESCAPE New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22618, 5 January 1937, Page 12

AIRWAY ESCAPE New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22618, 5 January 1937, Page 12

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