SENSATIONAL EXPERIENCE

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20248, 17 July 1937, Page 8

SENSATIONAL EXPERIENCE

PLANE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALLERS. Two members of the Australian Rugby team which played the Springboks at Brisbane had a sensational experience on tlie return trip by air to Sydney. The plane in which they were travelling was struck by lightning in some vile weather. The plane was over the sea at the time, the aerial apparently taking the flash. Smoke filled the cabin and the plane seemed to fall rapidly. As it neared tlie waves the occupants, of whom there were three—Frank O’Brien and Eric Gibbons, winger and half-back respectively, together with Keith Robinson, a son of the managing director of Airlines of Australia, thought it was all up with them. Tlie two footballers prepared for a swim, hut the pilot kept cool, and in the nick of time tlie plane began to rise again, much to tlie relief of the occupants, one of whom had one side of his ti users burnt, apparently by the lightning. Gibbons remarked afterwards that lie would rather play a dozen matches against the gant Springboks than have another experience like that. N Hess to say, O’Brien fully agreed with his mate/ I! may he mentioned that the Springboks ha\ e been forbidden tu travel by air in New Zealand.