WORLD’S LARGEST AIRSHIP BREAKS UP.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4514, 7 October 1930, Page 3

WORLD’S LARGEST AIRSHIP BREAKS UP.

FORTY-'SEVEN LIVES LOST

SEVEN SURVIVE CATASTROPHE,,

NOTED AVIATION LEADERS KILLED.

London, October 5,

Airship RIO-1, which left- C'ardington for- India last, night, crashed into a hill near Beauvais, France, and 47 lives were lost, including several men whose names have become famous in airship development. The airship was commanded by Flight-Lieutenant H. C. Ijnvin, with Squadron Leader E. L. Joynston as navigator; Lieutenant-Comman-der N. G. -Atherstone and Flying Officer M. H. St elf, also Mr. M. A. Oiblett, Superintendent of Airships at the Meteorological Office, and 37 non-commissioned officers and men.

The victims included as passengers are:—

Lord Thomson, Air Minister, Air-Vice-Marshal Sir Sefton Brancker, Director of Civil Aviation, Squadron-Leader Palastra, of the Royal Australian Air Force, Squadron-Leader O’Neill, representing the Secretary for India. Among experts of the Royal Airship works who perished were: — Wing-Commander ,Colmo;re, Colonel Richmond, Direetofr of Airship Development, Major Scott, Squiadron-Leader Rope, Major Bishop. Officers of the airship who lost their lives were:-—Flight-Lieu-tenant Irwin, captain, Navigator-Squadron-Leader Joynston, First Oflicejr Lieutenant - Commander Atherstone, Second Officer FlyingOfficer St eft, Mr. Oiblett, meteorological officer.

The names of those saved are: —V. Savory, J. H. Binks, H. J. Leech, S. Chm-eh, A. J. Cook, A. Disley, A, V. Bell. The airship was passing over the village oL' Allonue, just outside Beauvais, in a heaivy stoj-m. She seems to have struck hilly ground. There was one or more, violent explosions and the | airship sank to the ground in a sheet of flame. Assistance came promptly from villagers and from Beauvais, police, military, and doctors hurrying to the scene. Parts of the airship had 'been scattered in all directions, and the debris continued to smoke until mid-day yesterday. The few survivors were quickly hurried to hospital, and this morning- the bodies of the 4(j (victims, many unidentifialble, were collected. The clothes had been burnt oil: most of them, but some of the bodies were identified by rings and watches, among- them being that of Lord Thomson. The pause of the disaster cannot at the moment be definitely stated. It appears, however, that although bad weather with heavy storms was encountered by the airship, all went well until shortly before the disaster.

An important development in the investigation of the disaster is a report that fields and hedges over which the ship passed bore traces of. oil. The discovery has changed the whole line of inquiry, as it is taken to indicate that the officers were aware that R-101 was losing altitude, and they were prepared.to go to the extreme of jettisoning a quantity of fuel in order to lighten the ship while the rudder fin was found about a mile away from the scene of the disaster.

George Darling, a Leeds man residing at Beauvais, told a Press representative that he saw the airship rising and falling ominously, and l’ealised that she was in difficulties, so he decided to follow her in a motor-ear. He was some distance behind when the ship came down with a terrible crash. “Flames instantly'* appeared at one end, but had not .a substantial hold when I arrived. 1 was amazed to see Leech, who said that nobody was awake.” The RlOl was in difficulties till a few minutes before the crash. He knew the captain was trying to communicate with the engine-room. When the ship dropped the wind seemingly dashed her into the hillside, then came the explosion, and the fire followed fi,ve minutes later. Then Bell and Binks appeared. Mr. Darling broke a mica door, and with Leech and others penetrated "the mechanical control-room, and tried to reach the cabin, but the flajm.es repelled them. They saw one man terribly burned, frantically' trying to escape, but he collapsed into the inferno. Later they found Church, whose hair was burned off.

Leech told a vivid story two hours after the disaster. “There was no warning,” he said, “not a minute’s. As the airship lurched to the earth it burst into flames, and then erasihed' into the hilltop. I don’t know how I come to he aiive. Everybody aboard was asleep except the watch and the pilot. The motors were working perfectly. Villagers who thought they were working badly made a mistake. The airship, .'battling with the storm of rain and wind, dipped three times, and then a violent gust hurling he(r to the ground. It was ■at that moment that the explosion occurred.” He said that over Beauvais he got the impression that the back of the airship was tangoing. “We were then in communication with Le Bourget. We suddenly seemed to drop from 1000 feet to 200. The front dipped Once or- twice, and hit the hill. Then came a ghastly explosion." The engineer, Bell, says that ’ while conversing with Burks there was a sudden signal to slow down the engines, which were running at ■cruising speed. The crash followed a second later.