STRUCK BY LIGHTNING

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 17, 13 October 1937, Page 6

STRUCK BY LIGHTNING

British Air-Liner Has Remarkable Escape FABRIC TORN TO SHREDS Seven passengers in a British air liner had one of the most amazing escapes from death when lightning struck ths machine over the Channel. The machine was going through a thick bank of cloud and was nearing the English coast at a speed of 140 miles an hour, when the lightning struck the wireless aerial. There was a terrific feport. Then a line of flames shot down .the aerial. With fabric burning, the machine, pi'loted by Captaih J. D. Sloeum, flew straight on, t land safely at Croydon • on time. As the 'plane circled round the aero drome officials were astonished to see ragged strips of fabric,- about a fooc , ..long, hanging like streamers from beneath the body. An official of British Airways, owners of the machine, a ten-seater de Havil. land, gave orders for the 'plane to be put into the hangar, where it was kept all night. Few of the passengers appeared to realise how narrow was their escape and none appeared shaken. An official paid tribute to the passengers for their "remarkably cairn" benaviour. "They all retained their composure splendidly," he added. "They included four British people — one a woman — 3 Canadian, a Frenchman and a German. "The loud report heard after the lightning struck was probably caused by the tearing of part of the highlystretched fabric," he said. ".It is an extremely Tare occurrence . for a 'plane to be struck by lightning.'' British Airways have not had an ac- ( cident involving a passenger since the formation of the company.