When the plane was forced to crash in Moulmein
1920s
When the first single-engine plane crash landed near Sandoway
In early 1920, Australians John McIntosh and Ray Parer piloted the first single-engine plane to ever fly from London (Hounslow Heath) to Darwin, Australia. The first photograph shows the plane after an emergency landing between Akyab and Rangoon, where local residents had to clear vegetation to create a makeshift runway along the river bank so the plane could take off again. The second photograph shows the plane after it crash-landed at Moulmein, narrowly avoiding the welcoming crowd. The pilots spent six weeks in Moulmein repairing the damage: the destroyed undercarriage was rebuilt by Chinese workers, the broken radiator was replaced by two motor-car radiators, and a new propellor had to to be ordered from Calcutta in India. Rushing to avoid the oncoming monsoon, the plane took off for Victoria’s Point as soon as possible. From there, they flew to Georgetown, Penang, and eventually successfully reached Australia.
All later commercial flights, including BOAC, from London to Sydney regularly transited through Rangoon, and usually Akyab (Sittwe) as well, until the 1960s.