Invercargill Pilot and Crew Bales Out Of Frozen Aeroplane
Jun 5, 2023 22:22:25 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 5, 2023 22:22:25 GMT 12
CREW BALES OUT
ICE AFFECTS AEROPLANE
AIRMAN'S EXPERIENCE
(0.c.) INVERCARGILL. Sunday
An lnvercargill airman has qualified for membership of the Caterpillar Club by baling out of his aeroplane to gave his life. He is Sergeant-Pilot Philip Irving, son of Mr. H. S. Irving, of lnvercargill.
"While on a cross-country trip from Scotland to England in bad weather I was flying above cloud with everything going nicely when suddenly the engines cut out because the carburettors had iced up," Sergeant-Pilot Irving stated in a letter.
"I had no alternative but to go down into the clouds. As soon as I got into them ice started forming all over the aeroplane, covering up the windows. I could not see a thing outside and at the same time all "the instruments froze up. Then to top matters off the controls froze, too. By this time things were pretty hopeless. The aeroplane was going down in a dive. I ordered my crew to bale out and when they were all out, which seemed to take a very long time, I got out myself.
"As soon as I was clear of the aircraft, I pulled the rip cord and the next thing I knew was when I came to about two hours later, sitting on the edge of a stream. I could not remember anything about the aeroplane at all. When I saw the parachute I realised I must have jumped.
"By this time it was starting to get dark and to freeze. I did not like the idea of having to spend a night in the open, so I began to make my way down the stream. I could not walk and had to crawl. I did not get very far before I felt very dizzy and had to sit down again. I was only there a few minutes when a search party found me and took me down to the local police station. The rest of my crew had collected there. I was greatly relieved to see them all none the worse for their experience. The first one out was the luckiest. He landed beside the local inn and was given half a tumbler of whisky."
NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 1 JUNE 1942
ICE AFFECTS AEROPLANE
AIRMAN'S EXPERIENCE
(0.c.) INVERCARGILL. Sunday
An lnvercargill airman has qualified for membership of the Caterpillar Club by baling out of his aeroplane to gave his life. He is Sergeant-Pilot Philip Irving, son of Mr. H. S. Irving, of lnvercargill.
"While on a cross-country trip from Scotland to England in bad weather I was flying above cloud with everything going nicely when suddenly the engines cut out because the carburettors had iced up," Sergeant-Pilot Irving stated in a letter.
"I had no alternative but to go down into the clouds. As soon as I got into them ice started forming all over the aeroplane, covering up the windows. I could not see a thing outside and at the same time all "the instruments froze up. Then to top matters off the controls froze, too. By this time things were pretty hopeless. The aeroplane was going down in a dive. I ordered my crew to bale out and when they were all out, which seemed to take a very long time, I got out myself.
"As soon as I was clear of the aircraft, I pulled the rip cord and the next thing I knew was when I came to about two hours later, sitting on the edge of a stream. I could not remember anything about the aeroplane at all. When I saw the parachute I realised I must have jumped.
"By this time it was starting to get dark and to freeze. I did not like the idea of having to spend a night in the open, so I began to make my way down the stream. I could not walk and had to crawl. I did not get very far before I felt very dizzy and had to sit down again. I was only there a few minutes when a search party found me and took me down to the local police station. The rest of my crew had collected there. I was greatly relieved to see them all none the worse for their experience. The first one out was the luckiest. He landed beside the local inn and was given half a tumbler of whisky."
NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 1 JUNE 1942
