CRASH INTO SEA

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 250, 23 October 1942, Page 4

CRASH INTO SEA

INQUEST AT NELSON SOLE SURVIVOR'S STORY. SINKING OF PLANE IN 30 ' SECONDS. An inquest was_ held in Nelson yesterday before Mr F. Mitchell, the Coroner, into the deaths of two members of the R.N.Z.A.F., Dean Rainsford Horrocks, pilot officei , aged 20, and Vincent Charles Hill, sergeant, aged 23, in an aiiciaft accident in which four othei men axe listed as missing. Sergeant T. Matthews conducted the inquiry. Dr R. A. Lucas gave medical evidence. He put the cause of death as follows: Shock, exposure, increasing over an unknown length of time, and finally drowning. Evidence was also given by Di A. R. Green, who said that he went to the scene of an aircraft accident in a launch. Another launch and one from a more distant place w.eie ahead of them, so they turned back. He examined a body in the lastmentioned launch on which aitmcial respiration had been carried out The body showed no sign of lite, ana in witness's opinion he had been dead for some considerable time. He inspected the body of anothei man who was obviously dead. He then examined Warrant Officer Colway. the sole survivor, who was apparently not much disabled, and was admitted to the local hospi-tal. Witness added that he thought there should be some provision for faster launches.

Further medical evidence was given by Dr Vt. H. Reed, a captain and a medical officer at an aii station, who had examined Pilot Officer Horrocks about six weeks before the fatality and found him medically fit for full -time duties. L.A.C. John L. McWhannel, a flight mechanic, said he was told to do the daily inspection on the starboard engine. He completed the inspectioh and signed the form that certified that that engine was in good order. Nothing required recti-

fylng- • X. V. ^ Flight Rigger Francis Richardson gave evidence of inspecting the plane concerned on the day in question. Nothing required rectifying. Flight Lieutenant William G. C. Allison said that the plane left the aerodrome on exercises, piloted by Pilot Officer Horrocks, and the crew consisted of Warrant Officer Colway, Sergeants Chappell, Stevens, Bryson, Hill, and Aircraftman Davis. The plane had been flying in the morning and functioned quite normally. He heard of the accident at 4.5 p.m. He immediately organised an aerial search and despatched launches to the locality. Two planes were ordered to be started up, and a plane which came in was sent out with a fresh pilot. The first plane sent out reported 25 minutes later that he had seen people struggling in the water. He sent two rubber dinghies and life-jackets ("Mae Wests") with instructions to throw them out as close as possible to the men in the water. It was later reported that that had been done.

WATCHED FROM SHORE. A pensioner, Benjamin O'Brien, told how lie was watching an aircraft flying low over the water and heard the engine give an uncanny roar. As he was watching the noise suddenly became twice as loud. He jumped on to a bench to get a elear view. It seemed to him that something had gone wrong with the engine, and it had raced away. He could quite plainly see the plane afterwards on the water. It fioated for about half a minute and then disappeared. It appeared to glide in on the water, and not to nose in. A farmer, Gordon Douglas Rowlins:, gave his version of hearing the plane as if the engine were being revved up for climbing. He heard a dull thud and then silence. They got into a position where they could see an object out at sea' which they assumed to be the plane, and which disappeared. He got into a dinghy nearby with a Mr Fauchelle ana made out to sea. The tide was a.mos at low water and it was impcesible to get a ino tor boat out. After thev had rowed for some time a plane came over and began to cucle t,:e spot where they later came across three men in the water. Two oi the men were about 100 yards apart, ane the other would be apprcximately a quarter of a. mile nearei the slioie. He heard one of the nxen calling out and they pulled him into the dinghy . This man was later brought ashore alive. They then rowed to the positiori of the other two men, having been directed by a plane oveihead. One of these two men was given all the attention possiblS. He was m a very weak state and attcmotecl to sav something; but witness could nohear what. While rescuing the third man who was also in a weak state, the second man died. Twenty minutes later a; launch arrived. Tne first man rcscued was placed on the launch and rolled u.P' in blankeR. The third man was aisoi placed on the launch and given arlificial respiration. All three men were w ealing life jaekets when picked up The coroner congratulateo ti^e witness on. his prompt action. It was ciuitG likely tli9.tr thronigti it hc ddxI saved a life. rIhe, police seigeaiit endorsed this rcmark, and /inclucled Mr Fauchelle in it. Squadron-Leader

Bush sato that no wisneo. u, aua a,jnreciation on behalf of the Air Force of the action which almost certainly saved the life of one man. A fisherman, Ernest George Dudley, desciibed going to the scene of the' accident in his launch at 5 p.m. with Ai'thur Jenncns and Percy Calder. He found Mr Rowlings and Mr Fauchelle there with three airmen. DELAY IN SENDING LAUNCH. The Coroner said that he wondered why ihere was delay in Sending this launch, which was not sent out till 5 o'clock. Witness agreed that had he been sent out at 4 o'clock he could have reached the scene half an hour ahead of Rowlings. He knew of no reason for the delay. Witness related1 attempts at resuscitating the men. Immediately the other launch same alongside he asked if they had a doetor on board. They said they had not. They also said that they did not have blankets or a warm cabin. At his suggestion the second launch took two of the airmen to the nearest township. He ciroled round with his launch and picked up two rubber dinghies and also looked for other bodies, but found nothing further. He returned to his port while Jensen and Calder worked on the survivor in the cabin. When he received a message from Mr Glover he did not know he was pro-

ceeding to the rescue of airmen. Nor did he know there had been an aeroplane accident till he arrived on the scene. His was the fastest launch . available at the time. To the Coroner witness said his was not one of the launches included in the Sea Rescue Service of the Air Force. SURVIVOR'S STORY. The surviving airman, Warrant Officer James A. Colway, explained that he was a member of the crew which went out on exercises in a plane. Everything went well and they had completed the exercises and were winding in a gun preparatory to returning to the aerodrome. He heard a loud bang about 3.45 p.m. while he was in the nose of the plane. They were flying at about 40 feet above the water when he went to the nose of the plane. From previous experience in England he knew that the propeller had struck the water. Immediately the plane began to vibrate and at the same time the engine revolutions increased. He knew then that the pilot was trying .to gain altitude. He then went back to the pilot and heard him say: "Prepare to abandon aircraft." He was then still at the controls. He did not say anything further but the plane climbed to about 200 feet. The next time he looked out the plane was losing height and going towards the sea, and it landed in the sea a second or so later. The pilot was wearing a life jaeket, and Davis was also. When he saw them in the water he knew that at least five of the crew had life jaekets. He himself was not wearing one and he was the last to leave the plane. He tried to release the dinghy that was carried on the plane, but was unable to do so as the plane was sinking. The plane fioated for about 30 seconds. When he got free from the plane all the others were floating about in the water. They were talking to each other, and about ten minutes later he heard the pilot say that one was missing. They did

not see him disappear, but everyone in the plane got clear from it. He decided to try to swim for the shore as he had no life jacket, and was accompanied by Hill and another sergeant whom he did not know. He became separated from the sergeant and lost sight of Hill about a quarter of an hour before he was picked up. During the time he was in.the water, about 4.15, a plane came over and dropped a life jacket which witness swam to and got. Later a plane dropped a rubber dinghy, but'he was unable to reach it owing to the wind and tide. He was later picked up in a dinghy. He had been in the water about two hours. The plane had been travelling quite well during the exercise, there being no engine trouble, and the crew were working well together. Their height during the exercise varied from 50 to 400 feet. He was unable to say whether the engines were still running when the plane struck the water, but he would have noticed it had they stopped. If it had been possible to have got the dinghy from the plane it could easily have supported all the crew. There was sufficient time after the plane struck the water to launch the dinghy if it had been attempted immediately. He thought they were five miles out when the accident happened. As far as he knew no one was hurt when the plane hit the water. The inquest was then adjourned until the afternoon.