There is not the slightest hope that any of those on board survived the crash, as the plane plunged straight into the sea and went to the bottom in a few seconds.
Several residents of Seven-Mile-Beach heard the airliner pass overhead. Their general impression was that both engines were running as the plane flew over, but a few seconds later the noise of the engines stopped and a loud crash was heard as the Douglas hit the water.
Smashed tail unit of the Australian National Airways Douglas airliner which crashed into the sea off Seven-Mile Beach last night with the loss of 25 lives – her whole complement. March 18, 1946. Credit:Staff photographer
Mr. J. H. Wilson, a young returned soldier who lives near the Deach, said the engines seemed to be going all right, but the plane was flying very low and seemed to be losing height fast.
Captain L. McK. Johnson, operations manager for A.N.A. at Essendon, will fly to Tasmania early tomorrow morning.
Many people who called at the A.N.A. office, Melbourne, to wait for passengers, were advised early in the night that the plane had been delayed, and they left the office.
Private Ron Williams, of Hobart, who arrived in Melbourne from Darwin during the afternoon, believes his wife was travelling from Hobart in the aircraft to meet him.
The Douglas DC3 is one of the most generally used transport planes in the world. Large numbers were used by American commercial lines and Transport Command. Two military transport versions-Dakota 1 and 11-were supplied to the R.A.F., and could carry 28 parachute troops.
A low-wing cantilever monoplane, the DC3 is powered by two 1.000-h.p.air-cooled engines and equipped to carry heavy cargo. It is 64 feet long, with a wing-span of 95 feet, and has a top speed of 220 m.p.h.
The DC-3 was one of the planes used in the thrice-weekly Melbourne
to-Tasmania service operated by Australian National Airways.
Passengers and Crew
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Names of the 21 passengers and four crew members in the crashed Douglas airliner were released in Hobart early this morning. Addresses and in some cases, initials, were not available.
Following is the list:
PASSENGERS
Mr. TUDOR, Mr. R. BLACK, Mrs. R. BLACK, Miss ALLISON, Miss JOYNSON, Mrs. R. WILLIAMS, Mrs. V. RINGROSE, Mrs. RINGROSE, Mr. C. G. KNIGHT, Mr. J. WISE, Mr. B. J. DAVIS, Mrs. WOOTTON, Mr. J. O’DONNELL, Mr. MCDONALD, Mr. T. RYAN, Mrs. T. RYAN, Mr. GRANT, Mr. SCHAEDEL, Miss J. OGILVIE, Miss H. SMITH, Mrs. BUCKMAN.
CREW
Captain T. SPENCE, Second-Officer COLBURN, Third-Officer GIBSON, Miss TRIMMER, air hostess.
There are two women passengers named Ringrose in the list, but the initial of only one was available.
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