The New Hebrides

Air M ishaps In The New Hebrides And P-NG

The New Hebrides has been hav ing more than its quota of aviation mishaps lately.

FIRSTLY, on December 24, the Vila Aero Club’s Super Emeraude two-seater aircraft crashed into Vila Harbour (see pictures this page).

Then, during the first week-end in January, Mr, M. Thevenin, burst a tyre and damaged the propeller of his new Cessna plane while landing on his Pentecost plantation airstrip.

And finally, the Drover aircraft of New Hebrides Airways had magneto trouble (which caused much ado for little purpose) after an official party of four flew from Vila to Pentecost to inspect Mr. Thevenin’s plane.

The “hoo-ha” over the magneto started when the Drover pilot, Mr.

Paul Burton, radioed Vila on reach ing Pentecost that the Drover had engine trouble and needed a new magneto.

A spare magneto was promptly rustled up and put aboard the Melanesian Mission launch Patteson. which sailed for Pentecost next morning.

Meanwhile, Mr. Burton made temporary repairs to the Drover engine, and decided to fly down to Vila to pick up the new magneto.

Leaving his four passengers at Pentecost, Mr. Burton got back to Vila about half an hour after the Patteson sailed for that island. The MV Bourgoyne was therefore sent after the Patteson to bring her back.

The Bourgoyne, however, was too 5-low to catch the Patteson. So the Patteson reached Pentecost with one magneto for the use of one plane that wasn’t there.

Meanwhile, in Vila, Mr. Burton installed another magneto in his plane, flew to Pentecost, picked up his passengers, and brought them back to Vila.

Two P-NG Crashes P-NG had two air crashes in January. On January 10, a helicopter carrying a Lands Department survey team, crashed into the Bismarck Ranges, about 300 miles north-west of Port Moresby, injuring the pilot; and on January 2, a single-engine Cessna, crashed into the sea off Aitape when its engine failed. The Cessna’s pilot, Mark Dignam, was rescued by a native after he had been in the sea for six hours.