In 1988, an American couple relayed how they and eight others survived a Sunflower Air crash in Taveuni.
According to an article published by The Fiji Times on November 15 that year, Professor Peter Lynch and his wife Eileen came to Fiji for holiday.
Prof Lynch said they were accompanied by eight other Americans, who came together as a group to Fiji, when they decided to fly to Taveuni.
They hoped to capture some of the marine life around the island.
They flew to Taveuni in a Sunflower Queen Air when the aircraft hit a coconut tree near Matei Airport, crashed near a resident’s house and exploded in flames.
All passengers, including the pilot, survived the crash. Prof Lynch, a teacher at Temple University Hospital Medical School in Philadelphia, had said the group caught the Sunflower flight out of Nadi
As the plane’s pilot, Jerry Erbsleben, began the aircraft’s descent, they encountered heavy rain. Prof Lynch said the rain reduced visibility as if someone had put a shawl over one’s head.
Mrs Lynch was sitting immediately behind the pilot, on the left side of the plane, while Prof Lynch was sitting a few seats behind his wife on the right-hand side.
Prof Lynch said the pilot decided to take the plane up again after finding the landing conditions unsuitable.
Mrs Lynch said as the plane began to climb, she saw the palm trees in front of the plane and knew they were on a collision course with the trees.
“Suddenly the engine went dead, and we started to fall,” she said.
A moment later, they hit the ground with a loud bang.
“The co-pilot, Mr Robert Atkinson, yelled to the rest of the passengers to get out, as the plane would catch fire,” Prof Lynch said.
He said he staggered out dizzily when he yelled for his wife, who was still in the plane.
Taveuni planter, Freddy Petersen, was near the crash site and he bravely brought out all the passengers to safety.
“I think he is one of the bravest men I have come across,” Mrs Lynch said.
Upon full recovery, the couple flew off to Australia for the second part of their trip.
