Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1955), Thursday 31 August 1950, page 3


PEOPLE SAY ENGINES IRREGULAR

Several people living be-tween Darlington and York said at the air crash inquest today that they heard irre-gular noises coming from the Amana's engines as it

flew over their properties. Electrical engineer Peter Kelvin Johns, of Boya-cres., Boya, said he was in bed when He heard the Amana pass over his home at 10.5 p.m. Because of the irregular noise of one engine he thought the aircraft might turn back to the airport, he said. He described the noise as a "coughing, spluttering sound —like that of a cold motor-car engine that had just been started." The noise had seemed to come from one engine only. As far as he could tell, it con-tinued as the aircraft passed out of hearing. The other engines seemed to be functioning normally. The aircraft was on its nor-mal course, Mr. Johns said. "Irregular flashes" from the exhaust of the outside left mo-tor were described by Vacuum Oil Company accountant Phil-lip Sydney Bunney, of Lionel rd., Darlington. He said he had remarked to his wife that he thought the aircraft might turn back.

Dull Explosions The noises of the engines seemed irregular. He heard two or three dull explosions like backfiring in irregular bursts. Geoffrey Roy Inkpen, of Berry Brow, via York, told how he woke up and heard what sounded like an aircraft crash. He rushed outside and saw a flash in the sky, then a much bigger flash. He joined Mr. Frank McNamara, of York, and his two sons, and they went in the direction of the flash. After going for about three miles in a south-easterly direc-tion, they came across the crashed aircraft. Edgar William Forwood was walking around nearby. Forwood said that he was in the Amana and something seemed to go wrong, Inkpen said.

Forwood had said that he felt himself going forward in his seat, but said he attribut-ed it to his weak heart. Geoffrey Michael Ackland, who lives near the 42-mile peg, York-rd., said he heard a succession of back-firing and mis-firing from the Amana's engines as if flew over his property. Farmer David Watson Hill, of Quadney, near York, said he was in bed and heard the Amana approaching. For about three minutes its en-gines sounded normal, then they became so loud that he wondered if it were a truck or an aircraft flying low. Terrific Bellow Suddenly there was a terri-fic bellow from the engines and he rushed outside. He heard a rushing noise, saw a bright red glow in the sky, heard a very loud explosion, then another not as loud. The aircraft appeared to be on its normal course when he first heard it. The loud roaring of an air craft which appeared to be fly ing very low and coming from the west awakened him about 10.20 p.m. on the night of the crash, said beekeeper Francis John McNamara, of York. The aircraft seemed to veer towards the south suddenly.

One engine, which was making a lot of noise, seemed to be cutting out while the other ap peared to be functioning nor mally. He and his two sons went outside and heard a roaring noise like an aircraft crashing on the hillside south-east of the cottage. There was a small flash of light followed by a very bright flash which form ed like an umbrella in the sky. He heard no noise. (PROCEEDING) [Before City Coroner R. P. Rodri-guez and Mr. J. G. Kilpatrick, JP. Mr. P. Connaughton for the Depart ment of Civil Aviation: Mr. A. E. Kay for the widow of victim Vincent Finnigan; Mr. J. E. Huelin for the insurers of the Engllsh Electric Co.]