West Australian (Perth), Thursday 12 August 1943, page 2

FORCED LANDING

A LUCKY ESCAPE

Plane in Lake Monger

The occupants had a lucky escape yesterday afternoon when a float plane developed engine trouble and, in a long glide, just missed housetops in Leederville, brushed the tops of trees on the rim of Lake Monger and then landed on the waters of the lake. No one was hurt and the plane was only slightly damaged. Late in the afternoon the plane was surrounded by one of the biggest crowds ever seen at Lake Monger, most of the onlookers being children. The plane probably will be dismantled and taken to its base for whatever repairs and overhauling may be necessary.

The plane was first heard by people in Leederville when it came over Thomas-street bridge and continued from a south-easterly direction with its engine occasionally roaring and then stalling. Finally it seemed to stall altogether and rapidly lost height, but when over the last row of houses on the slight hill overlooking the lake near Blencowe-street the engine gave another burst and spectators consider that burst saved the plane enabling it to cover the remaining distance. It came down in a low glide to safely settle on the lake, where there is a fair depth of water and a long stretch for landing.

When the first sightseers arrived the plane was in the middle of a mass of weeds at the western end of the lake. Here an attempt was made to restart the engine and, this proved successful, the plane was taxied farther along the lake to a spot comparatively free of weeds. The plane was roped into the bank and a guard set up to keep back the crowds of children and other onlookers. It appeared as if the wing flaps were slightly damaged but actually the plane had suffered little from the unexpected descent.

"When I first heard the plane coming over here I thought it sounded like engine trouble,"  said a Leederville resident in Mr. J. Drew, a former State cricketer and umpire. "Apparently a burst or two from the engine when over the houses carried the plane safely to the water."

The Daily News (Perth), Friday 20 August 1943, page 2

Danger

The occupants of the plane that made a forced landing on Lake Monger were fortunate. About a third of the lake is covered with floating water hyacinths about four to five feet in length, which form floating islands that spread all over the lake, or form one solid mass at one end of the lake according to the prevailing winds. When the plane landed these lilies were all up one end of the lake, leaving about two-thirds of the lake clear. Had the mishap occurred another day there might easily have been a tragedy. Seeing that the men who fly these planes are doing it for our protection I think the least we can do is to clear this apparently useful emergency landing of the death traps floating in it. OBSERVER. Wembley.