FATAL CRASH

Hokitika Guardian, 19 July 1933, Page 5

FATAL CRASH

LITHUANIAN PLIERS’ FATE

LATER PARTICULARS OF SMA,SB

(Un’fed Press Association —Bv j Electric Telegraph—Copyright)

BERLIN, July 18

A woman, who was gathering blueberries, found the: wrecked plane Lit-K-, uanica. a,t dawn, amid its debris. Tbe big electric lamp on the plane was still alight* It is believed that this lamp was used as a searchlight and that it partly caused the tragedy. The flyers, seeking .for ' a landing ground, wove heard flying low at midnight. At- first they attempted to make a jdescent at Beslcinchen, but their searchlight showed that the neighbourhood wag unsafe. They again attempted st, landing at two in the morning; ■a.nid '.when the 'treCf-Ops Avei'e floodlit by the searchlight, they • apparently resembled a field. The impact of the plane with the trees was an appalling one. It mowed d«wn a dozen tall -pines. Both of the wings wer© torn off. The motor was hurled many feet, and buried in the ground. Other parts of the l plane were found twenty-five yards away. The two airmen were killed instantaneously. Tneub was only one gallon of petrol left in the tanks. Tim airmen’s log showed that the plane had kept a straight .course from New York.

LITHUANIA GOES INTO MOURNING

KOVNO, July 17

National mourning has been ordered in honour of Darios and Girena s> who are 'being buried an Lithuania.

POST’S FURTHER PROGRESS

NOVOSIBTRAK, July 17. Willey Post landed here at 6.27 o’clock.

POST REACHES IRKUTSK

HOPES OF BREAKING RECORD

(Received this day at 9.45 a.m.) MOSCOW, July 18

Post left Novosibirsk at 8.55 o’clock this morning and later arrived at Irkutsk.

Post remained only long enough to refuel. He had no sleep. He encountered bad weather in the. Urals and was forced to rely on the automatic pilot, while he steered by his instruments. Post is optimistic, considering that, if he can maintain his gruelling pace, lie has an excellent chance of beating the record.

IN URAL MOUNTAINS

FLIES BLIND IN CLOUDS

(Received this day at 10 a.m.) LONDON, July 18

A N.A.N.A. message from Wiley Post at Novosibisk says, his flight- over the Ural Mountains was worse than the last half of the Atlantic, f experienced the densest cloud I have ever seen, and rose to twenty-one thousand feet, vainly trying to get clear. 1 flew blind for seven hours. Once I almost

scraped n hillside looming mudcUniy th rough the fog. T believe if T lmd a parachute I would have jumped on two or three occasions, when it seemed impossible to get through. The feed pipe and automatic pilot again became Up • connected, but the invisible mountains j v/evo the real danger.

1 NEW FEDERAL A.F. MACHINES.

. MELBOURNE. July 18. The Commonwealth Government, has

noti(k'd tlij Air Force :uillioritios Hint money is available for tile purchase of eighteen aeroplanes. A committee is investigating the most suita-ne types, and is submitting recommendations to , the Defence Department for tlm pur- ! of machines alone tbe lines of those used by the Koval Air Foire, possessing tremendous spre.l and olliI ciency.