LOST IN FOG.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19163, 21 November 1927, Page 9

LOST IN FOG.

'PLANE DESCENDS IN POLAND. UNENVIABLE EXPERIENCE. (BT CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (AUSTEALIAN AND N.Z. CABLB ASSOCIATION.) LONDON. November 18. A Lemberg newspaper reports that Lieutenant Hinkler and Captain Mcintosh landed at Bialokrynica m Southern Poland on November 16th and have resumed their flight. (Received November 20th, 5.5 pm.) LONDON, November 19. A message from Warsaw,says that Captain Mcintosh and Lieutenant Bert Hinkler are still in Lemberg, staying at an hotel. A representative of the Polish Telegraph Agency got into telephonic communication with them at two o'clock this (Saturday) morning, but they refused to give any information regarding the accident, saying that they bad sent a telegraphic report to London. An earlier message said that news was received at Warsaw from Lemberg that the 'plane Princess Xenia left at ten o'clock on Friday morning for London, and a crash was reported by the British United Press Telegram. Presumably it occurred almost immediately. [A message on November Ist said that Lieutenant Bert Hinckler and Captain Mcintosh would start on Tuesday or Wednesday, when there would be a full moon. For two nights they would be in the air, and would follow Lieutenant Carr's route across Europe to Constantinople, Bagdad, and Karachi, and continue until the 740 gallons of petrol were exhausted. It was expected to last for 40 to 50 hours, and be sufficient for 4000 to 5000 miles.] CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS. (AUSTRALIAN AND N.S. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) (Received November 20th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 19. Much mystery prevails and there are many conflicting reports regarding Hinkler's doings. Authentic news is still lacking, but Warsaw reports state that the Princess Xenia was so badly damaged in landing that it will be'impossible to effect repairs locally. Two onlookers were struck and seriously injured by the machine when it was landing. Hinkler and Mcintosh left the 'plane in the care of the military authorities to be sent to Lemberg, frcm which place, assisted by the British Consul, they entrained for London. Another message says that the Princess Xenia's second descent was due to engine trouble and that Hinkler and Mcintosh are still in Lemberg, whither they travelled in train accompanied by the two men who were injured when the 'plane was landing. They reported the accident to the British Consul and the Polish authorities. THRILLING STORY. DOGGED BY BAD WEATHER. (AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) (Received November 20th, 11.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 19. A message received from Lemberg contains Hinkler's own story. "After flying for 24 hours through continuous snowstorms," he. says, "we landed ten miles inside the Polish border. We had previously estimated that we were near Astrakhan and had covered 2800 miles. After leaving Flushing we flew for twelve hours in the darkness through snowstorms. It was the most terrifying time we have ever experienced and we repeatedly lost control at a height of 5000 feet and did not. regain it until a few hundred feet above the ground. "Navigation was impracticable owing to landmarks being blotted out and we had to trust to our compass. Eventually we were trapped among the mountains and blindly flew up and down among valleys, having to bank sharply every now and again to avoid the hillsides. Dawn showed a ,fogbank 8000 feet high. The cold was intense and the machine was covered with ice, frozen limbs militating against control"Wo knew by dead reckoning that we must be somewhere over Russia. Then we decided to head for India. Three hours later, finding progress impossible, we turned back and sought a landing place. We landed safely on the rough surface of a ploughed field near Podhajce (Poland), being watched by the populace of the village. Our machine was escorted by a waggon to a police station some miles distant, and we were detained for some hours until an interpreter arrived and was satisfied with our credentials. "W 7 e spent the next day in futile efforts to get a message through to England. With the help of residents the following day we took off again in the direction of W r arsaw. Wearing Lemberg the weather became impossible, and we were forced down and landed in a ploughed field. The machine fell forward on its nose and wing-tip, crumpling the propeller blade, which was snapped off, and we were shot out of our seats uninjured. The flight would have been successful > if the weather was better. We maintained 110 miles hourly for 24 hours. FLIGHT MAY BE RESUMED. (Received November 21st, 1.17 a.m.) LONDON, November 20. The authorities offered Hinkler every possible assistance and placed a machine at the airman's disposal, but he declined, as he was most anxious that his should be repaired. There is a suggestion that the flight may be resumed to India, but most likely they will stay at Lemberg to effect repairs- and bring the machine home. Meanwhile they are being lavishly enterained. One of the injured peasants has a broken leg and the other severe bruises.