TRAGIC CRASH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 86, 13 April 1931, Page 7

TRAGIC CRASH.

TWO FLYERS KILLED. Southern Cross Junior Breaks In the Air. LEFT WING COLLAPSES. (United P.A.—Electric Telegraph-Copyright) (Keceivsd 11.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, this day. The biplane Southern Cross Junior, in which Mr. Guy Menzies made his sensational flight from Sydney to • New Zealand last January, crashed near Mascot aerodrome in the dusk last evening and the pilot, Mr. -J. Palmer, aged 29, and the owner, Mr. Albert James, were killed instantly. The machine was fiving at a height of 2000 ft when it foil.* It had recently been reconditioned after it had been brought back from New Zeal;-mi. The pilot had made 10 passenger tripe during the afternoon and was making the last flight of the day when the crash occurred. Mr. James' four-year-old son was to have accompanied his father, but the latter decided against it at the last moment. The machine hit the ground upside down and much of the wreckage had to be cut away to release the victims. Mr. James was dead, but Mr. Palmer died when being carried to the ambulance. The unfortunate victims had intended to leave shortly on a goodwill flight to Japan. It was said by a witness that the pilot was a hour to make a loop when the upper left wing broke and ftll on to the lower wing. The machine sagged, went slowly into a tail spin, and fell a mile from Mascot aerodrome and became a mase of tangled wreckage.

The tragedy occurred in the sight of many horrified people. Willing hands soon reached the spot and dragged the men out. They were terribly injured and were beyond human aid. The Southern Cross Junior was the machine in which Air-Commodore Kingsford Smith, made his record flight from England to Australia. Mr. Menzies purchased it on Christmas Eve last. His partner was not informed of the airman's intention to fly to New Zealand before he had started, and it was thought by his friends that he was going to fly to Perth. The biplane had a Gipsy 11. engine, which developed 130 h.p. at 2400 revolutions, with a cruising speed of about 92 miles an hour for nearly 20 hours. Mr. Albert James, who was part owner with Mr. Guy Menzies of the Avro Avian biplane Southern Cross Junior, visited New Zealand last January, soon after Mr. Menzies' successful flight from Sydney to New Zealand.

SCOTT'S FLIGHT. Start on Journey to Brisbane From Darwin. FEAT APPLAUDED. (Received 12 Xoon.) DARWIN, this day. Mr. C. W. Scott left at 7 a.m. on Sunday for Brisbane, in perfect flying weather. He thinks his record for" the England-Australia flight will be beaten in a year or two, as flying methods and facilities improve, and lie will heartily congratulate the man who does it. The aviator later reached C'amooweal and leaves for liOngreaeh to-day. He says he found it a terribly hard job. An airman, he says, needs perfection in his machine, the weather, and luck. He thinks Miss Amy Johnson had a great heart to make her flight. He prefers a Gipsy Moth, as one can get spares, and all-metal machines are best for arduous flights.

The clock of his aeroplane, which has been twice to England on aeroplanes, he presented to the landlady of the Hotel Victoria, who also possesses Mr. Hinktefs clock. Mr. Scott's small baby's gollywog, which was his mascot, will be sent Home again. The airman reckons the cost of the flight at about £1-300. He hopes to about clear expenses. , There is little money now in record-breaking. He describes the last day's flight from Bima as the most trying of the trip, as he had only just enough petrol for the long and risky open sea flight to Darwin. Looking down he could see the shapes of sharks, and the time passed very slowly until land loomed up, and the strain was over. Just after he landed another aeroplane arrived from Daly Waters with two surveyors of the Aviation Department, who, when they heard of the stranger's arrival, inquired: "Who is Scott!" He enlightened them. Air circles in Australia applaud Mr. Scott's performance in flying to Australia in record time. Sir Keith Smith declares it to be a triumph for skill, endurance ami ground organisation. The Governor-General, Sir Isaac Isaacs, has received the following message from the King:—"Please convey my hearty congratulations to Mr. Scott on his fine achievement." Air-Commodore Kingsford Smith, who at present is carrying passengers from Melbourne to Tasmania in the veteran Southern Cross, would welcome an opportunity to attempt to recapture the record, but his business engagements will probably prevent this.

INDIA REACHED. AUSTRALIAN AIR MAIL. (Received 11 a.m.) KARACHI, April 12. ■The experimental Australian air mail 'plane has arrived at Karachi.

GREAT WELCOME. ZEPPELIN IN EGYPT. JERUSALEM, April 12. There was an unprecedented scene when the airship Graf Zeppelin landed at Cairo. A detachment of 150 British Air Force men and 2.30 British soldiers held the mooring ropes for an hour. Meanwhile the excited mob broke through the police cordon, which necessitated the use of fire hoses to clear a space. The jrowd gave an ovation to Dr. Eckencr, who, in recognition of the help given by the Royal Air Force, invited Flight-Lieutenant Luck to travel in the Zeppelin to Berlin. Lieutenant Luck came to Cairo to supervise the moorings for the ill-fated RIOT. The airship arrived here yesterday from Cairo and circled the city for an hour. The populace was much excii«d. The airship has now gone on- to-«feridia.