AIR DRAMA OVER TASMAN

Chronicle (Levin), 29 July 1947, Page 5

AIR DRAMA OVER TASMAN

Press Assil-

Flyiflg Boat In Violent Storm

By felegrdpti

.-Gdftijflght

Receivdd MOuday, 10:25 p.m. BZDMlY, July 28. Passengers in the Tasman- Empire Aifivays flyi.ng b'dkt, bdund from Syd ney to , Auckland, had s, nightmdrc experience today in a storni over -the Tasman. The aircraft, which left Rdse Bay at 6.80 a.m:) ra'n jinto violent heddWinds and rain in the middie oi" the Tasman and turned back. At 10.-25 a.m. it landed safely at kose Bay tvith ,ofi?v. sufficient petrol fof oue hoiif 's iiyihgShortly af'ter turrting b'aclc the flying boat encountered headwinds Which. reached a veiocity of iidbfe thah' 61miles an hour. Most of tii.e 80 pkssengers wTCre sick and one' becamS so ill she had to receive oxygen tfeatment Sevdfal hours out from SydttUy tht coinniaridef, Captain B. ib Cbiitfehr. radiobd as. a pi'8Cautibnafy inehBUre Toi an R.A.A.F. Gatalinfi td be seiit otit to loCate him in caS6 Of a deScefit on the sea. His niessage ivas pickbd Up by thi fe.A.A.F. and i-ead: "Oh iny way back. Don't think I will make it. Turned baCk at poiiit beyond safety range; ' ' The R.A.A.F. Wirelessed the .steamei Katoomba which was ten miles oui from Sydhey to stand by in ease thi flying boat was foreed doWn and a Wfi) ship outmde the harbdur Was instructei to steam in the iine of the aircraf t flight. A Gatfilina flying boat, equippei. With all emergeilcy gear fOi- sea rescue was despatched -from Rathmifies neai NeWcastle. MeanWhile a crash boat Was prepared at Rose Bay. At one stage it seemed likely thai the passengers would -hkve to jettisoii their ltiggage. Aftef maldiig radio contac't wdth the flylngboat ahd bfeing assured it eould make its base safely, the Gatalink feturned to Rathttiih.es and the fiyihgboat reached Rose Bay at 3 p:m. Captain le Couteur eniphasised that tlie aii-ei-aft had ne-Ver been in daiiger and said his call for the Catalina Wa3 pUi-ely a prdcahtionary meashre. He, said tlie trip was sb rotigh froiii Sydney that he kiie Whe" wmuld hot liave a sttffieient margitt of petrbl to reach Auckland. "When we left Sydney this morning the Weather was uttpredictabie and not up to the forecast. On the re-tut-ii journey the wittd cliahgbd and we had to bhttle thlough a 70-mile-an-hour lieadwind: It Was prhtty rbiigh golng and the aircraft bumped like mad. We didli't meet the Catalink I liad signalled. I was pretty eonfident We Wohld get through- bttt I wanted the Catalind ih ease/' he added. Aif Hostess Joy Pattersott said: "11 was the. Worst ttip I havg had and i wouldn't like another like it. FeW oi the passengers rdalised the daiiger but expefienced fliers commented on Ihe pitehing of the aircraft."