Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-09-06
Nations Probe Delay
OF Rescue Efforts in
kim AirIiner Crash
BY The A.soeiosed Press

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SHANNON AIRPORT, Ireland,
Sept. 6.-The Dutch and Irish
governments launched an in
vestigation today into rescuerS'
delay in reaching the KIM Royal
Dutch airliner which plunged
into the River Shannon yester-
day. The disaster claimed %
lives-11 of them American.
OF the % persons who sur
vived the crash of the New York
bound experimentation, Is
were Americans. It was the Sec
ond crash Of a KIM airliner in
Is days. A New York-to-Am-
sterdam Skymaster went down
in the North Sea August %. All
81 aboard, including II Ameri-
cans, were killed.
Survivors of the Shannon
crash told of waiting anxiously
more than three hours, despite
the fact that the big plane
came down only 2 miles from
the airport in the early morn
ing darkness.
Timing Important.
kim representatives and
Shannon Airport officials pieced
together this timetable in start
ing their inquiry:
1888 a.m.-The plane took of
from Shannon Airport after a
routine stop en- route from Am
sterdam.
$40 a.m.-The plane crashed
into the river near its mouth,
within sight of the airport's
lights.
$50 a.m.-The Undiscovered
navigators staggered into the
kim operational Office at Shan
non Airport to report the crash.
$40 a.m.-The airport fire
brigade reported receiving an
alarm from the operational
tower.
a.m.-The first rescue launch
reached the sinking Constella-
ton.
= of Crew Survive.
Richard O'Sullivan, chief air
accident inspector for the Irish
government, and C. A. F. Falken-
hagen. representing the Dutch
government, are directing the in
quiry. Seven. of the planes 10
Dutch crew members, including
the pilot, 49-year-old Capt. Ad-
rian Viruly. escaped.
Gen. A. I. Aler, KIM president
who flew here from Dublin where
he was mentioning, said he
could not understand the delay
in sounding the alarm.
The bodies Of Is persons
trapped inside the plane were
recovered, but two bodies are
still missing. An American wom-
an. Mrs. Caroline Platz of the
Bronx, New York. died of in
juries in the hospital after being
rescued.
Gen. Aler told reporters, after
he had interviewed survivors,
that the plane was carrying
1000 pounds under its maximum
load and that it had made a
normal" takeoff from Shannon.
Had No Warning.
1.-THE captain tells me the for
ward speed Of the plane at the
time of the accident was 165
nautical miles," he said. About
two minutes later and flying
what the crew thought was a
normal climb and without noting
any unusual disturbances. the
plans. on throttle for four en-
gines, struck water.
There was no question of the
plane attempting a forced land
ing" Mr.. Alder declared. AFTER
the accident. the second pilot did
not even realize what had hap
pened. None of the crew in the
front of the plane realized they
were in the river"
One surviving passenger. Hans
Seldin of Johannesburg. South
Africa, said, after we reached
the stone embankment on the
river we waited for about an hour
and I couldn't understand why
no help came from the airport
which was so close.
Even if help had gotten to the
place sooner" he added. II don't
think any more people would
nave been saved because the other
passengers were asphyxiated by
gas fumes"
Family of Escape.
Among the American survivors
were at StI Petersburg, Fla. fam
ny-Dr. and Mrs. Charles Far
rington and their two children,
Charles. jr., IL, and Charlotte,
16.
Another survivor, DR.. Ernest
H. Bettman, of White Plains,
n. Y, boarded another kim
plane yater yesterday to hurry
back to his hospital duties, Of
f1cials said. His wife, returning
home from Europe on the Liner
Queen Mary, was informed by
radio that her husband was safe
Two Of the victims were senior
officials of the Burmese govern
ment-U Tin, secretary to the
ministry of national planning
and religious affairs, and Col.
Ba Han, in charge of aerial sur
veys for the Burmese war Office.
They were en- route to New York
on government missions.
Seven Secs