The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-06-19

Page 5J continue the trip aboard the sec- ond, The London. The Rev. Cor nelius Curtin, 55, of Sydney, Mont, cancelled his reservation and caught a train for New York.
 The hero of the crash was cool, 1evel-headed Capt. Samuel H. Mill Ter, who in g split second decision set the plane down without injury to any of its occupants.
 Six Priests Aboard
 Among the passengers were Laur- ence Olivier, British actor, and his beautiful wife Vivian Leigh, the star of Gone With The Wind"
 We thought we were gone," said Olivier.
 Tt loked like the end," said Miss Leigh.
 "It was kind of close call," said Father James O'Connor, B, of Mer- Till, Ore, one of six priests en route to Ireland. T thought we were all goners."
 The plane, one of the largest and fastest of the commercial airliners, took off from La Guardia Field shortly after, 5 P. M., EDT., yes- terday. It was bound for Shannon, Fire, with the first stop scheduled at Gander, Newfoundland.
 Reports Motor Trouble
 At 5:58 P. M., Captain Miller, whose home is in White Plains, N. F., radioed La Guardia Field that his extreme right engine was on fire and he was returning.
 In their seats behind Miller's cabin the spellbound passengers- actors, singers, businessmen, a bar tender and his wife, who had just begun to watched the flames stream back from the burning en- zine, and lick towards their win- dows.
 There was no panic The passeng- CTS sat silent, as the crippled plane sped through the air at almost 200 miles an hour, trusting the man at the controls to do the best he could to save them. He did.
 Charles Casey, 37, Q New York bartender and his wife, Elizabeth, 35, were on their way to visit their families in Ireland whom they hadn't seen in 16 years. They met and wed in New York City IA years ago and had not met their ln- laws on the "OP Sod"
 Good Reading Material
 Casey was readinR a magazine Safety in the Air" Mrs. Casey tugged at his sleeve and silently pointed to the flaming engine.
 He assured her it was nothing, and clasped her hand in his.
 The other passengers saw the flames. Talk stopped.
 A crew member came back from the front cabin to reassllre them and caution them to be calm.
 T tried to srnile," said Mrs. Casey.
 Ahead in the cabin, Miller was turning back. The engine burned out of the wing and fell on a farm near Planefield. The pilot cut out an engine on the other side to re- lieve the pressure on the weakened wing.
 Finds Field too Small
 Through hole in a cloud, Mill Ter saw a landing field below him. He headed toward 1t, but saw 1t was too small.
 Behind him the passengers looked at each other significantly as he lifted the plane away from the field.
 T was sure it was my last minute on earth" said Mrs. Casey.
 Each minute seemed an hour to Miller. His crew of 10 stood slent- ly at their posts He decided to try to make Hartford and spotted the field at Willimantic 25. miles east of here. circled it, decided it was large enough, and tried to lower his landing gear.
 The fire had damaged the hy- draulic system. The landing gear was locked.
 Action in Seven Minutes
 Miller radioed the field below and told them he was going to crash land. Four ambulances waited. Mil- Ter tried to bring the plane down with the wind, but saw that he couldn't. He circled the field and came in against the wind.
 He landed the plane smoothly on its belly on the soft grass beside the runway in center field. It was SOS P. M.. seven minutes after Miller had radioed La Guardia Field that the engine was burning.
 We were within an arms length of hell" one of the passengers said. as ground crews swept around them. That pilots good, steady arm saved us. He never wayered a min- ute."
 When the plane slidded to stop the passengers unfastened their safety belts and arose. They began to cheer. Miller opened the door and stepped into the passenger cab- In. They burst into applause.
 The passengers were taken to the Wi!limantic Hotel for dinner. They were loaded into two busses and brought to Hartford with police escort. They went to the dining room ct Brainard Field and order ed more food. Most of them were too excited to eat. and drank cup after cup of coffee.
 All talked excitedly of their seven packed minutes.
 The second plane took off ct 12:- Ss A. M, with 4l passengers and . enrsnnletA new crew of ID