When a Plane Crashes in the Jungle

The photographs on this page and on page 28, show what can happen when a plane crashes in the Fiji back country. Above, all that is left of the Fiji Airways Drover plane that crashed in the upper reaches of the southern arm of the Wainimala River, Viti Levu, about 8.30 a.m. on December 30.

Engineers subsequently went in and examined the plane; it is, of course, a total loss. The pilot was not seriously injured and was able to walk to a village. There were no passengers.

The small photo, lower, centre, shows Pilot Brian McCook who survived the crash, as he is normally—a photograph taken a couple of years ago by the Fiji Public Relations Office.

At lower left, is a photograph of him taken in the village of Nasava, about 10 miles from the scene of the crash. He walked to the village from the plane and stayed there cared for by Fijians until a rescue party arrived.

From that point he was carried on a stretcher for 19 miles to Leutu where he was placed in a small motor boat.

The place where the plane crashed is in some of the roughest country in Fiji; and the village where the rescue party found the pilot, one of the most isolated. (See over)

fl Sub-Inspector R. G. Curtis, Mrs.

Curtis and family were passengers on Soochow from Sydney to Rabaul in January.

BELOW: Mr. Arthur Philips, a planter, was the first to reach McCook at Nasava.

Fijian AMP's and two policemen arrived [?] after. McCook was then carried on a stre[?] for 19 miles.

LEFT: At Leutu the pilot was placed, ii[?] stretcher, on board a small motor-boat bw[?] troubles of the rescue party were by no [?] over, as this photograph shows. The bo[?] here being steadied through rapids. ambulance met the party at Bau Levu, oc[?] Rewa River, and McCook was in Suva Hoc[?] three days after he crashed.