Lucky Escapes From
p. 29 · Read in the full issue
Fiji Plane Crash
FIJI Airways lost one of its De Havilland Rapide aircraft at Labasa, on April 24 but the pilot, Captain F. Ladd, and the seven passengers escaped.
One of the engines failed soon after take-off and Capt. Ladd made a forced landing in a rice-field.
This would have been successful if it had not been for a 3-ft ditch across the field. When the aircraft struck this, it turned over, skidded some distance on its back and then caught fire.
Through the presence of mind of Captain Ladd and a passenger, Sgt.
Puran Jorawa, of the Fiji Police, the passengers were helped to take off their safety belts and escape from the wrecked aircraft.
Baggage and mails were destroyed in the fire. The passengers and the pilot suffered shock and minor bruises and cuts but none was seri ously hurt.
This is Fiji Airways first serious accident in the 2h years it has been operating.
Following the crash, there will be minor curtailments in some of the airline’s services.
U Mr. Harvey Turner and Mr. Ross Walker, of Fruit Distributors Ltd., the NZ organisation that buys Fiji bananas, visited Vanua Levu in April to discuss prospects of grow ing bananas for export in the Savu savu area.