HAL HX294 problem

HAL HX294 problem HAL HX294 Updated: 08 MAR 2018

Uddrag fra "En dråbe i havet" om problemer for flyet:

Skytte Sydney L. Smith: "Vores besætning havde været på bombetogt til Berlin, og på hjemvejen blev vi forfulgt af en tysk jager, men det lykkedes os at ryste ham af.
Som du måske ved, er der på flyet en nødtank med reservebrændstof, men da flymekanikeren ville koble over på den, opdagede han, at der ingen brændstof var i den, og vi havde kun brændstof til 5 minutters flyvetid på de tanke, som var i brug,
og det blev derfor besluttet, at vi skulle springe ud med faldskærm. Da vi ikke var
helt sikre på, hvor vi var, tænkte vi, at vi måske kunne nå Sverige."

Pilot Alan O. McCormack: "Det er min opfattelse, at vi over Berlin var blevet ramt i maskinens bug, mens bombelemmene var åbne, og senere formodede jeg, at en brændstoftledning var blevet beskadiget.

Under hjemturen passerede vi den tyske kyst og nærmede os det punkt, hvor vi skulle ændre kurs, da den ene motor satte ud og nummer to begyndte at opføre
sig på samme måde. Der var stærk modvind fra Nordsøen, så jeg besluttede at
vende og forsøge at nå Sverige på to motorer. Jeg havde netop fået vendt, da yderligere en motor svigtede, så jeg besluttede at lade besætningen springe ud
med faldskærm, mens jeg endnu havde maskinen under kontrol ved hjælp af en motor, og flyverutens omtrentlige forløb kan rekonstrueres ud fra besætnings-medlemmernes landingssteder."

Tilføjelse: Flyet kom fra Berlin fra sydøst og skulle fra Faaborg på Fyn ændre kurs
til stik vest for at komme hjem, fastslår et kort.

Excerpts from "A drop in the sea" about problems for the plane:

Air Gunner Sydney L. Smith: "Our crew had been on a bombing raid on Berlin, and
on the return flight we were chased by a German fighter, but we managed to shake him off. As you may know the plane has an emergency tank with spare fuel, but when the Flight Engineer would switch to it, he discovered that there was no fuel in
it, and that we only had fuel for 5 minutes in the air in the tanks that we were currently using. Therefore it was decided that we had to bail out. As we were not quite sure where we were. we thought that we might reach Sweden."

Pilot Alan O. McCormack: "I was under the impression we had been hit in the belly when we had the bomb doors open, then later presumed that a fuel line was
severed. We had crossed the German coast and approaching our turn point an engine failed, with a second starting to do likewise. There was a strong head wind across the North Sea, I decided to make for Sweden on the remaining two engines.

I had just turned and another engine failed so I decided to bale the crew out whilst I still had one engine for control, and that is how you traced our route on your map, turning and more or less heading for Sweden."

This is an excerpt from part one of McCormack's own account, part 1 * 2 * 3
from Rudkøbing Byhistoriske Arkiv, p.147-153 of "A drop in the sea."

Addition: The plane came from Berlin from the south east, and from Faaborg on Funen it had to alter course to due west to get home, a map states.