BOMBER ON FIRE

Patea Mail, 10 January 1940, Page 3

BOMBER ON FIRE

PILOT INJURED Flying-Officer K. F. Smillie, of Wellington, and Aircraftsman D. C. Lyons, of Timaru, were badly injured when a Vickers Vincent thrce-seatcr bomber caught fire in the air at .7.30 on Monday morning at a height of approximately 500 feet and made a crash landing on a farm about two miles from the Woodbourne defence aerodrome. . Both men are in the Wairau hospital. Flying-Officer Smillie is suffering from bad burns about the legs, arms and face, and shock, and Aircraftsman Lyons is suffering from a broken right thigh’and shock. The machine was observed by two motorists on the new Renwick Road to be flying at a low speed with flames coming from one of the exhausts. They then noticed that the flames were spreading along the left side of the plane. MANOEUVRING OF PLANE The pilot made several manoeuvres, including diving, to keep - the lire away from the cockpits. They lost height rapidly and landed the machine on a paddock, by which time the whole plane was on fire. The observer was thrown about 150 yards by the impact, and Flying-Officer Smillie was able to get out and walk away from the plane, but he had been terribly burned in the meantime. Help was quickly given by motorists and nearby farmers. An ambulance and a fire unit from Woodbourne arrived within five minutes, travelling Straight across (country, and cutting a way through obstacles such as fences. They were able to extinguish the firo and save some equipment from the -wreck. The injured men were imme- . 'diately removed to hospital. ■ Eyewitnesses pay a tribute to the airmanship' of- Flying-Officer Smillie in endeavouring to keep the flames away from the cockpit, especially as the height was insufficient for parachutes. An inquiry is being held by the Air: Forte authorities as to the reason for , the plane catching alight in the air.