Freight Jettisoned Into Tasman

Chronicle (Levin), 4 December 1947, Page 5

Freight Jettisoned Into Tasman

(N.Z.P.A.—

-Rieuier.

doPvriaht)

Received Wednesday, 7 p.m.

BYDNjcY, Dec. 3. After one engine liad cut out In a scpiall when .only 200 feet above tlie Tasman, * the (Sandringham fiying boar 7\r ew Zealand. made a hazardous retui'h i hight of 5Sd miies to Sydne-y with 2 9 jiassengers and crew of six. Before the sister ship Auckland with 30 passengers and' crew oi six, joined the crippled .lircrat't as escort, the freight and oaggage were.dumped to assist tlie aireraft gain heigiit.. No mail was jetti soned as all bags have been accounted for. The eommander.of the aireraft, Cap tain 1. Fatterson, made .tlie following statement on returning to Eose Bay, tSydnev, at 12.10 today: — "We let't Rose Bay at 5.30 a.m. and tuo hours. later descended to 200 feet beeause of heavy weather. We fiew' under a heavy rain eloud until 8.30 a.m. when we were about 400' miles from Hydney. Shortly afterwards 1 notieed, a bad oil leak from the inner starboard engine and suddenly the motor began to vibrate. iSmoke poured' fronr it. I. climbed to 500 feet beeause of tlie heavy rain and rough conditiorts, t'eathered the motor and decided to return to Sydney. The first message was then sent reporting that oue engine was feathered and lixing the expected arrival time at Svdney as noon. • ; "Then wTe decided to jettison all weight. The crew's baggage was jctti.-ioned first and the- passengers ' Dag'gage and freight followed. We were still unable to gain lreiglit beeause of Tlie rough conditions. At 8.40 a.m. we wero down to 50 feet and onr air speed was getting very lovv. After unloading ihe baggage and freight we were able to gain height to 100 feet and hold it until we caiue out of the heavy rain. We then climbed to 1000 feet. We had made radio contact with Captain • D. iveesin, of tlie fiying boat Auckland, •uid he joined us about 9.30 ar.m." The stewardess, Aliss AL Alortoii, ordered the passengers to don theL' lil'ebelts and checked that they were strapped in their seats in case the plane had to land on Ihe choppy sea. Nearly all the passengers were ill but accord'ing to a iriember of Ihe crew, there was no panic whcai it was realised the plane was in (Yifficulties. Arnong the passengers ivere tlie Aiiglican Bislioji Ashton Oldham, of Albany, Neiv York, and his ivife. When the first news reached Sydney fast air-sea rescue launches were ordered to sea and a Liberator was prepared at Amlierlev aerodrome, Brisbaue. All naval vessels were altered. A Tasman Empire Airways spokesman said this aflernoon that the companv would probitbly reimbur.se tlie passengers for tlieir losse.s and would iinmedialely feplace the necessary nrticles.