FINE ACHIEVEMENT BY CAPTAIN OF CRAFT

Chronicle (Levin), 22 December 1947, Page 5

FINE ACHIEVEMENT BY CAPTAIN OF CRAFT

Press Association )

. (Per

WELLINGTON, Dcc. 21. Thc R.N.Z.A.F. jiircruft which was compelled to muke u forced crusli lunding in ihe t'liilippines, is a completi write-oflf but the injuries weceived b\ only three of the. 12 passengers aiul crew are not serious. Dotails of tlu- liicident received yesterday bv Air Ileadquarters, W'e! lington, indicate that a splendid perrormance was achieied by the captain of the aircraft, Eliglit Lieutenant L. 1\. Burch, in making a ' ' wheels up" crasn laiidiiig- at night. Those injured, now in hospital in hospital in Manila. are Eliglit I.ienienant B. lleatli and Elight Eergeam 11. Gullivcr, Uuunliers of the crew, and A.C.l \V. B. llough, a passengor. Other members of the crew were Eliglit Lieut. L. K. Burch (tlie captain i, Elight Lieut. J. Hclioles, >Sf|uadrpii .eader II. llardiug. Tlu* passeugers were Uorporai W. G. Silton, L.A.C. .1. V. I). Hughes, L.A.C. A. R. Alereditli, A.C.l C. D. Clew, A.C.l \Y. H. Halder and A.C.l G. 8. Hunt. The aircraft was the N.Z. Courier ZBE, 141st squadron, that operates a weeklv service between X e w -Zealauu and Japan. On Friday it was 011 oue of its seheduled iiights from Japan tt. New Zealand. Three hundred mile-; uortli of Alanila tlie port engine exploded. Tliere were still some three •lowrs before dayligiit. A11 official ac -ount of tlie iiicident sent froni Manila dales that after the explosion the Jight was mai ntained for a time 011 tlu starboard motor until very had weather and the need to avoid tlie turbulence. i'orced tlie aircraft lower and lower. Finallv below 1 000 feet aiul still 100 uik-s from Manila, ;it Dilaloncan 011 tlu Island of Luzon, litdght coukl not be mai ntained. The nia.il and personal !n longings were jettisoned and the air•raft made a crasli landing with its .vheels up. To acconqilish this landing so suecossuliy in the darkness was a i'eat for vhicii tlie captain is given great credit.

I11 a niessage received today from Squadron l.eader Ilarding, he says: '(onsider Burch earried out excellent jok" (Ireal i-redil is given by ollieials in Wellington to the I'nited' States Aii horce for Ihe prompt liianner 111 wliicfi it organised rescue aircraft when tlie alert was given. Full details of this are not to hand but it was obviouslv very prompt and elfeetive. When safe after tlie landing and with the injured attended to, tlie personnel involveil were most cuiicerned f i i-s t by alarmist report s which were circulated' in Manihi conceruing tlie aceident and its easual ties and seeondly bv the appareni neeessitv for their being delavod because 110 other airearft might lie available before Oi'ristnias. Both of tliese matters have been attended to, thd'iirst ii.v tlie reiease of the true facts and tlie second bv the pronqit provision bv Air ileadquarters of a reiief aircraft to piek up tlie crew and passengers. This is the lirst inculent of tlie kind in the service which has been operated by New Zealand erews on a weeklv liasis since the New Zealafld fore.es hav'o beep in Japan. It is tlie longest air L-oute flown by aircraft in the world, nore than 10,000 miles.