AVIATION.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 August 1927, Page 2

AVIATION .

AIR LINER. CRASH

(Australian Press Association & Sun.

LONDON, Aug. 22,

Halt an hour after leaving Croydon, early this morning, for Amsterdam, the Dutch Imperial Airways monoplane was lying in fragments in the park of a private house at Seven Oaks. It was the first of its kind fitted with twin engines, carrying a pitot, mechanic and nine passengers, of whom seven were men and two were women, two men and one woman being English. AVI ion the plane was at a height- of one. thousand feet, to avoid clouds, n violent wind suddenly tore otf the rudder and vertical tin attached. The plane banked sharply to the right, and, as the Dutch pilot dramatically stated in evidence at the inquest Tic-Id later, his only hope was to keep from a spin. He had no time to warn the passengers, but juggled with death finthirty seconds, during which time lie managed to cut off the engine, lose a little .sliced, and flattened the machine out. T here was no hope of a safe landin the thick park, and lie managed to come round on the level, instead of nose diving, only because the small fin beneath the tail held on. Even as it was, the terrific speed of 120 miles per hour made it impossible to have any control over the plane, which struck a water-logged patch of parkland. trees saving it from a worse disaster by tile cheeking of the speed.

According to eye-witnesses, the wings were torn off and the engine shot through the cockpit, crushing and killing the Hutch .mechanic, hut the amazing tiling was that though the cabin was buried in the earth and the whole plane a twisted wreck petrol pouring into the cabin, and likely to ignite any minute,, the pilot and passengers were not seriously hurt. All scrambled out of the window. A crowd of rescuers were astonished at their coolness, especially of the women, who .greeted them without signs of panic. A verdict of accidental death was ret nrned.

The pilot, IViining, said there was no structural defect apparent before starting. The passengers paid a tribute to the consummate skill with which the pilot accomplished the descent. The rudder was found half a mile away.