When a leased Kalinga Airlines DC3 flying for Gulf Air went missing on a scheduled flight from Doha to Sharjah I was called out to search the sea for wreckage between Doha and Sharjah. Later in the day a Shackleton from Aden and a Dharan based USAF C 54 joined our Pembroke in the search, which was hampered by strong NW winds and blowing sand. The search was abandoned after one week, but rumours of gold bars on board, hijacking and sabotage persisted for several months. Pilots familiar with the area were convinced the DC3 crew, who were new to the Gulf and unfamiliar with the winds, had overflown Sharjah before descending towards the mountains in the east
In December 1960 a traveller from the Musandam Peninnsular turned up in Ras al Khaima with a story about strong smells and circling vultures near his mountain village around the time of the accident. A new search for the wreckage of VT-DGS was authorised and a
PR Canberra from Cyprus photographed the area with a view to finding a landing area suitable for a Twin Pioneer.
On January 26th 1961 while on a Twin Pioneer detachment at Sharjah I was tasked to find and mark a suitable airstrip on the Musandam Penninsular. Armed with an aerial photograph, the Lat and Long of a promising looking area and a large cannister of lime-wash our adventure began.
Shortly before departure a corporal engine fitter asked if he could come along for the ride, which I agreed to immediately as he might be useful. With Master Navigator “Yorkie” Gladwyn in the right hand seat we headed east towards the mountains.
We arrived overhead the designated area and circled down to 200 feet above the sandy basin. After 30 minutes looking for a 400 yard stretch of a flat, obstacle free, ground we were about to give up. Rocks poked through the surface at critical intervals and the most promising area was scattered with small trees and what looked like groups of vertical gravestones. As Yorkie said: “ It’s no good let’s go back and have a beer,” I saw a clear run close a line of “gravestones”.
After landing (without hitting any obstacles) I turned the Twin Pioneer through 180 degrees and shut down, forgetting to raise the flaps and slats! The line of (engraved) gravestones would be a good marker along the left hand edge of the take off run.
There was no sign of life when we got out of the aircraft. Before long a group of locals appeared from the northern side of the bowl. At least two of the older men were armed with knives resembling narrow swords and sticks topped with small hatchets. Nobody had a rifle. We shook hands, I began to relax. The corporal took some photographs and then went to collect the lime-wash with Yorkie. While they were inside the aircraft a young women launched herself through door and lay on the floor face down. I heard raised voices and a bang when something hit the port flap. One member of the group grabbed the women by her ankles and dragged her backwards out of the aircraft. She landed heavily and let out a cry. I shouted to Yorkie, “Switch on the booster pumps!” hoping the buzzing noises would frighten them away. Unfortunately Yorkie was not familiar with the switches!
Very conscious that we were outsiders who had landed in their graveyard, and it was almost certain no Europeans or vehicles had been there before us I pushed my way through the crowd and pulled the door shut. They moved away quickly when the starter cartridge fired and the starboard engine burst into life.
Things are turning nasty.
Visible dent on flap trailing edge.
Exit route west
I decided to land at the TOS camp at Khatt and talk to the CO. Initially he was angry our landing, but then he admitted that the TOS had been looking for an excuse to send an expedition into the Musandam Penninsular for years. As it was a foreign country (Oman) and closed to Europeans he always knew the chances were slim. The vulture story was the excuse they had been waiting for, but HQ Persian Gulf would not approve launching a search party unless an airstrip was available for casevacs and resupply by Twin Pioneer.
Footnote - The Sultan got to hear about out visit and a new search was never approved. The wreckage of VT-DGS was discovered several years later in a dried up river bed about forty miles east of Sharjah. The TOS camp at Khatt must have been close to what is now Ras al Khaima International. And yes I did feel a bit like Biggles at the time!