R.A.F. Chief Hurt in Crash

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 62, 6 December 1937, Page 7

R.A.F. Chief Hurt in Crash

frens Assn. — Cr-evi it!iI •

TWO OTHERS KILLED Empire Airways Flying-Boat Comes to Grief TAKE-OFF IN GALE

(By Tel«sr»ph—

(Eeceived 6, 9.25 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 5. Captain William Macdonald Falconer, aged 47, of Melbourne, and a steward, Fredericlc Stoppani, were killed when the Imperial Airways flying-boat Cygnns craslied in taking off from Brindisi. Sir John Salmond, Marshal of the Eoyal Air Force, was seriously injured. He suffered a broken collarbone and wa injured knee. A passenger named Sharman suffered a broken leg. The remainder of the 13 passengers aboard suffered superficial injuries. The Cygnus, when taking-olf in a gale, fell back into the water and eubmerged. A motor-boat rushed to tho gpot and recovered all the surviving occupants. The Cygnus carried mail from Australia. Divers salvaged it from a deptli of 30 feet. The plane sank near the, centre of the southern shore of the outcr harbour. The Cygnus carried sewen passengers and a crew of six. The Cygnus, a class-C Empire fly-ing-boat, was delivered last March. An eye-witness says that, a minut-e after taking-off, the nxachine came down as though making an emergeuey landing, but struck a shoal, which explains why the tail is still protrudinpi from the water. The prompt acfion of the motor-boat alone saved the lives of those who survived. Sir John Salmond was returning from a tour of Imperial Airways' Fa.i) East services. He left England three weeks ago and arrived at Singajpore sulfering from slight fever, but recov-j ered and was able to coinpJcl e His pro-( gramme. Brindisi hospital officials state that the othera who were injured, who include Eobert, son of Sir Edward Luf> yens, are suffering from cuts, bruisea and shock, but will all leave hospital to-night. The cause of the disaster is at prosen!c unknown. An inquiry is proceeding.