CRASH IN THE AIR.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 83, 10 April 1922, Page 5

CRASH IN THE AIR.

LONDON-PARIS PLANES. SEVEN PERSONS KILLED. MACHINES BURST INTO FLAMES <B.v Cable.-Press _-_tSon._Cop.vngb,., PARIS, April 7. A shocking aeroplane disaster occurred at I,Hoy, near Beauvais. A British aeroplane ot the Daimler line Hying from London to Paris with mails, collided It.? 1 ]' o*'0*' With a '-"lia-th machine left Le Bourget, Paris, with three passr-ngers bound to London. Both machmes caught lire after crashing. J ne pilot and three passengers of the Goliath and the mechanic of the Da inter were killed. The pilot of the Daimler was still living when picked up, but died in hospital without recoverine consciousness.

At the time of the collision visibility was fairly good, but there were low clouds and light rain was falling. The aeroplanes were at. a height of 4Ooft. They were Hying low in order to steer by the broad white band of the main road at a speed of about 10,") miles an hour. The Daimler was carrying mails and newspapers, with a pilot named Duke and a incchnnic. The (loliath was in charge of a pilot named Mier. Spectators hear the roar of the engines and then a deafening crash. The mass of smoke and flames seemed to divide in two as it fell. When people reached the spot they found live bodies in the twisted debris. Duke was then living but he died in hospital without recovering conssiousness.

The death of Duke removed the only survivor of the disaster. Tito passengers on the Goliath included Mr. Bruce Yule and his wife. Americans.

This is the first collision that has occurred on the London-Paris air route. Tt is also the first fatal crash on this route since December. 1920, since when 18,000 passengers have been carried without accident.

It is pointed out that the chances are millions to one against two aeroplanes on the London-Paris route meeting exactly in the same line at exactly the same altitude. Such an accident has never happened before and probably will never happen again in this generation. (A. and X.Z. Cable.)