AEROPLANE HITS POWER CABLE

Southland Times, Issue 23678, 29 November 1938, Page 7

AEROPLANE HITS POWER CABLE

Four Men Burned To Death After Crash DISASTER 24 MILES FROM BRISBANE LOW FLYING IN SEARCH FOR WOMAN (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received November 28, 8.55 p.m.) BRISBANE, November 28. Three men of the Royal Australian Air Force and a policeman were burned to death when a Seagull amphibian aeroplane struck a high-tension power cable, crashed and caught fire near Beenleigh, 24 miles south of Brisbane, about noon today. The victims were: Flying Officer Max Wyber. Flying Officer R. Milner. E. Everett, a mechanic. Constable Young, of the Water

Police, Brisbane. The accident happened while the aeroplane was flying low over the mangrove banks of the Logan river at Alberton, searching for a missing society woman, Miss Marjorie Norval, aged 30, who had been personal secretary to the wife of the Premier of Queensland (Mr W. Forgan Smith) and mysteriously disappeared' on November 11. The aeroplane had searched the small islands at the southern end of Moreton Bay and was travelling slowly up the Logan river when it struck a hightension wire which ripped off a float and threw the Seagull to the river bank, where it was immediately enveloped in flames.

A ferry man was the only eye-wit-ness. He was unable to approach the burning aeroplane and summoned help by telephone. The bodies were extricated from a blackened mass of wreckage. Flying Officer Wyber lived at Newcastle and Flying Officer Milner and Everett at Sydney. Constable Young, who was 43 years old and married, lived at Brisbane.

The fourth member ,of the Seagull’s crew, Aircraftsman Grainger, was left behind at Brisbane to make room for the policeman.

AIR LINER’S FORCED LANDING THE CALPURNIA DOWN IN ARABIA (Received November 28, 8.10 pm.) LONDON, November 28. Imperial Airways today confirmed a report from Rutbah (Arabia) that the Calpumia had been missing between Rutbah and Habbaniyah (Arabia) since last night. The air liner carries no passengers but has a crew of five. It took off from Southampton on November 25 (last Friday) with Christmas mails for Australia.

A later message from Alexandria says that Royal Air Force aeroplanes have found the Calpumia at the south-west comer of Lake Habbaniyah, where it had made a forced landing. It is believed that the crew is safe. An official of the Royal Air Force reports that three members of the crew, one of whom is believed to be injured, were seen moving about the Calpumia, which is apparently damaged. Imperial Airways states that the Calpurnia at 6.32 pjn. yesterday, when darkness was prevailing, asked for her bearing while in the neighbourhood of Tiberias (Palestine). The bearing was given. The Calpumia should have arrived at Habbaniyah at 3.30 a.m. The crew consists of Captain E. H. Atwood, the first officer (Mr A. N. Spottiswood), a radio officer (Mr B. B. Rees), a steward (Mr D. E. Anderson) and a flight clerk (Mr F. G. Übee).

THREE LIVES BELIEVED TO BE LOST j (Received November 28, 1.10 a.m.) LONDON, November 28. A search party sent a radio message stating that it found the wreck of the Calpumia in Bft of water on Lake Ramadi, 15 miles from the base of Lake Habbaniyah. Mr Rees is reported dead and Mr Anderson and the probationary station officer, Mr Harrison, are injured. Captain Attwood and Mr Spottiswoode are missing, and Mr Übee is not mentioned.-

It is reported from Baghdad that the Calpumia crashed when attempting to land on Lake Habbaniyah during a sand storm. The missing men are believed to be drowned. Captain Attwood was commander of the Canopus at the inauguration of the service from England to the Cape in 1937.

BOMBER LANDS IN PLOUGHED FIELD

(Received November 28, 11.10 p.m.) SYDNEY, November 28.

During a test flight today before departing for Canberra and Melbourne tomorrow, one of the record-breaking Vickers-Wellesley bombers was compelled to make a forced landing in a ploughed field near Richmond. The undercarriage was considerably damaged and one wheel was torn off by the force of the impact The crew of five was not injured, but received a severe shaking. A farmer engaged in fallowing had to fall on his face to avoid being struck by the wing of the aeroplane, and his horse'bolted.