▁them . ▁ ▁ABC ' s ▁Cle aver ▁Bun ton ▁re called ▁that , ▁" it ▁was ▁a ▁remarkable ▁piece ▁of ▁av iation ▁that ▁the ▁plane ▁got ▁down ▁safely , ▁literally ▁missing ▁trees ▁by ▁very ▁small ▁marg ins . ▁The ▁amount ▁of ▁people ▁who ▁got ▁to ▁the ▁race course ▁was ▁remarkable . ▁Not ▁only ▁were ▁cars ▁there ▁in ▁big ▁numbers ▁but ▁there ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁col oss al ▁crowd ▁of ▁people ▁there ▁too . ▁It ▁was ▁fort un ate ▁actually ▁that ▁the ▁race course ▁was ▁water log ged ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁heavy ▁rain ▁we ' d ▁had . ▁It ▁saved ▁the ▁plane ▁from ▁over running . ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁doubt ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁have ▁over run ▁had ▁it ▁not ▁been ▁water log ged ▁as ▁it ▁was ". ▁ 2 CO ' s ▁New n ham ▁interview ed ▁Captain ▁Par ment ier ▁and ▁passenger ▁Gil issen ▁on - air ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁mi rac ul ous ▁escape . ▁The ▁broadcast ▁was ▁relay ed ▁across ▁Australia ▁and ▁directly ▁to ▁Holland . ▁Captain ▁Par ment ier ▁told ▁ 2 CO ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁doubt ▁that ▁the ▁setting ▁up ▁of ▁the ▁run way ▁with ▁the ▁aid ▁of ▁motor ▁head lam ps ▁saved ▁the ▁aer op lane ▁from ▁crash ing ▁and ▁indeed ▁saved ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁the ▁crew ▁and ▁their ▁passengers . ▁Early ▁in ▁the ▁afternoon , ▁W ire less ▁Oper ator ▁Van ▁Bru g ge ▁told ▁his ▁story ▁and ▁convey ed ▁his ▁thanks ▁to ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁Al bury ▁for ▁their