CALCUTTA PASSED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 906, 25 February 1930, Page 9

CALCUTTA PASSED

NEW ZEALAND AIRMEN IN INDIA MANY ENGINE TROUBLES Piper and Kaye, the New Zealand airmen, arrived at Calcutta at 12.30 p.m. on Monday. In the afternoon they left for Akyab. United F.A. —By Telegraph—Copyright Reed. Noon. CALCUTTA, Monday. Piper and Kaye, who left here for Akyab this afternoon, had engine trouble throughout the India crossing, dUe to a piston-rod melting at Jask. Soon after leaving Karachie on Saturday they encountered a heavy fog, and were forced to turn back. They landed at Hyderbad, in Sind, departed in the afternoon, and reached Jodhpur, where they stayed the night. A FORCED LANDING Yesterday, when proceeding to Allahabad, strong head winds, combined with choked jets, caused a forced landing at Jhansi. They restarted, and near Allahabad the engine trouble recommenced. The plane just managed to reach the airdrome when the engine failed. The engine was scraped, and at seven in the morning they set out again for Calcutta, but near Gayu one of the jets choked, and the fliers sought a landing spot in vain. It seemed almost certain that they would crash in the jungle when the choked jet suddenly cleared, and they Continued to Calcutta, which was reached at noon. The run from Allahabad to Calcutta was made in five hours, which is excellent time, equal to that of the powerful Fokkers used by the Dutch air mail service. GLOOMY ANSWER

The airmen, stayed here two hours, then departed for Akyab. Replying to a question as to when they would reach New Zealand, the airmen gloomily replied: “Perhaps never. We should not be surprised if the plane fell into the sea. We shall return to England by steamer.”