▁I ▁ho pped ▁on ▁and ▁went ▁out ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁I ▁could . ▁There ▁were ▁hundreds ▁of ▁people ▁there . ▁When ▁I ▁arrived ▁the ▁plane ▁was ▁pretty ▁much ▁hop eless ly ▁ent rench ed ▁in ▁the ▁mud . ▁Some body ▁showed ▁up ▁with ▁a ▁tr uck ▁and ▁a ▁heap ▁of ▁pl anks ▁and ▁they ▁put ▁the ▁wood ▁under ne ath ▁the ▁whe els ▁of ▁the ▁aircraft ▁and ▁ran ▁the ▁mot ors . ▁It ▁started ▁to ▁look ▁dangerous ▁as ▁the ▁pl anks ▁began ▁to ▁tip ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁air ▁and ▁it ▁looked ▁like ▁they ▁were ▁going ▁to ▁hit ▁the ▁props . ▁The ▁pilot ▁w aved ▁them ▁away ▁and ▁they ▁abandoned ▁the ▁idea ". ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁ 5 0 th ▁anni versary ▁of ▁the ▁incident ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁Al bury ' s ▁Cec il ▁Mer ed ith ▁re called ▁his ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁drama . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁Mer ed ith ▁was ▁working ▁on ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁H ume ▁Res er voir . ▁Early ▁on ▁the ▁morning ▁of ▁ 2 4 ▁October ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁while ▁on ▁his ▁way ▁to ▁work , ▁he ▁devi ated ▁to ▁the ▁race ▁track ▁to ▁help ▁ha ul ▁the ▁aer op lane ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁mud . ▁" The ▁wireless ▁operator ▁Van ▁Bru g ge ▁asked ▁me ▁would ▁I ▁take ▁charge ▁of ▁ha uling ▁her ▁off ▁so ▁I ▁took ▁over ▁and ▁eventually ▁we ▁ha u led ▁her ▁off . ▁There ▁were ▁about ▁ 5 0 ▁to ▁