Fiji Plane Crashes

[?]lot Escapes when Fiji Plane Crashes

A Fiji Airways Drover aircraft crashed in heavily timbered gged country near Nasauvere, in the headwaters of the southern m of the Wainimala River, about 8.30 a.m. on Friday, Decern r 30. The Wainimala is a tributary of the Rewa.

[E plane had been in the air for about 35 minutes and was on a mail run from Nausori miles from Suva) to Nadi, Fiji’s •national airport, a flight that lly takes about an hour, lere were no passengers in the e. It was piloted by Captain n McCook who has been a pilot Fiji Airways for the last 3 years. Previously he was with L. mediately the plane became iue, two other FA planes two RNZAF Sunderlands began irch. On December 31, a Fijian er arrived at Nadi and reported the pilot was safe, although ed, in the village of Nasava. /eral land parties were im ately organised to go to the tance of the pilot. Mr. Arthur ps, a planter on the Wainimala *, was the first to reach him, ig heard where McCook was igh Fijians who came to his e. Two Fijian AMPs and two 3 arrived soon after and Dok was carried on a stretcher i the river to Matainasau , then Leutu, where he was placed in fiall motor boat belonging to Philips, later transferred to a

r craft in which he finished iourney to Bau Levu on the Rewa, and was picked up by lance and taken to Suva, ore he was put in Philips’ he was met by another party i included Dr. Shaw. McCook offering from cut fingers, mul bruises on the left shoulder lossible chest injuries. He was spital in Suva three days after rash —late on January 2. - plane crashed in some of the est country in Fiji. It is on et side of Viti Levu, there are )ads and only a few native It is slightly east of the mountain chain of the island. merican plane which was lost j area during the war was not d for 10 years. The search s and the Fijians who carried ok on the first part of the rd journey did an amazing o extricate him so speedily, ir he reached hospital, McCook

said that his plane had hit a tree and lost the right wing. He had held the nose up so that it would crash tail first.

After impact the mail bags were strewn around but he had collected them and put them under the wing to protect them from bad weather He had then (about 9 a.m.) set off down a stream, sometimes through gorges and around water falls until at 3.30 p.m. he had met a native pig-hunter who had helped him into the village. He had walked about ten miles. The Fijians later

carried him a further 19 miles to

Philips’ boat.

It was reported from Suva on January 3 that police had been sent to locate the wrecked plane and to guard the mail bags. Later, 9 mail bags were brought in to Suva An inquiry will be held into the crash following an inspection of the wreck by engineers.

FIJI Airways purchased two Drovers in Australia in 1954.

Shortly afterwards one of them had a forced landing on a Fiji reef when it ran out of fuel—this machine was presumably salvaged The Drovers, an all-metal, three engined light aircraft were built in Australia for the Flying-doctor service and for other special duties.

A number of them were used in New Guinea by Qantas and two of these were the ones bought by Fiji Airways.

Drovers were involved in one fatal and one serious crash in NG, after which modifications were made to the propellers.

. Harold Gatty, owner of Fiji lys, visited Sydney in mid iry and purchased two Drover ’ s ; one will be delivered to Fiji yril; the other in June.