CAUSED BY LIGHTNING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18590, 28 December 1934, Page 5

CAUSED BY LIGHTNING

AIR LINER DISASTER

RESULT OF INQUIRIES

(Elec. Tub Copyright—United Press Assn.) LONDON, Dec. 26.

The Times’ Hague correspondent says that the K.L.M. commission’s preliminary report from Bagdad states that the ill-fated air liner was found in flying condition.

The retractable landing gear had been withdrawn, and the landing wings were m Hying position. The engines were on normal, and the gas, ignition, and landing lights were not switched on. The wireless aerial was taken in, which is normal when Hying in a thunderstoim, mil at the spot where the small liked aerial touched the baggage hold, the fuselage was severely burnt. Thus lightning apparently struck this aerial. The K.L.M. commission states that the pilots were not blameable for flying at night,-as the weather* reports were not unfavorable when they left Cairo, except indications of a small local thun-derstorm-in the Syrian desert. . A medical examination reveals that the occupants of the plane were all killed by lightning, for the first time in the history o ( aeroplanes, although airship disasters have been attributed thereto.'

The inquiry shows that the ‘‘Hying Hotel” crashed out of control, indicating that the pilots- were killed instantaneously in the air.

ALBURY REMEMBERS

RELIEF FUND STARTED

(Received December 28, noon.j SYDNEY, Dec. 28. Albury people, who were generously treated by the Dutch people for their efforts to save the Duteli air liner from destruction during the centenary air race, have started a fund for the families of the victims when the air liner crashed in the Syrian desert. It is thought that probably financial help will not be needed in most cases, but in any event, Albury’s action will be accepted t as evidence of appreciation of Dutch magnanimity towards Albury.