MAJOR MISHAP.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 281, 28 November 1938, Page 7

MAJOR MISHAP.

I GERMAN 'PLANE CRASH t Noted Pilots Perish On Trial Flight To Dakar. II OCCUPANTS INCINERATED. Dalted Press Association.—Copyright. (Received J. 30 p.m.) CAPETOWN, November 27. 1 -,® ne the Lufthansa Company's , 40-seater Junker aeroplanes with 16 people on board was on a trial flight from Germany to Dakar, when" it eolhded with a palm tree after taking off at Bathurst. .The machine clashed and 31 of the occupants were burned to death. three of those who escaped death were seriously injured, and two slightly injured. The dead include leading pilots. The crew numbered five. The r passengers were engineers from the • 'linker works and members of the j Reich Air Ministry. I Among those killed were three of Germany s ablest pilots, Captain Joachim Blankenburg, Captain Untucht and Captain Kindermann. Herr Blankenburg had crossed the Atlantic 107 times. KEEN INTEREST. International Aeronautical Exhibition. OPENING IN PARIS. British Official Wireless. RUGBY, November 27. The International Aeronautical Exhibition in Paris was opened on Fridaj-. Reports indicate that crowds of visitors displayed very great interest in the stand of the Royal Air Force, at which a Spitfire—numbers of which are to be produced soon in the larj-e new factory erected by Viscount Nuffield—and a Hurricane are on view. In addition there is an illuminated glass map, on which the routes covered regularly by Royal Air Force machines are illustrated pictoriallv. There are also diagrams and charts depicting the growth of the Royal Air Force. These show that the number of pilots and airmen has risen from 31,200 in 1935 to 73,400 in October, 1038. By next June there will be a strength of about 100,000 men. In first-line aircraft, the number has already been increased from 101 in 1035 to a figure well in excess of 2000. Kxpenditure over the same period lias risen from £27.500,000 to £21f».000.000. The estimated expenditure for 1039 is £2< (0.000,000. ATTEMPT AT RECORD. TOKYO-BERLIN FLIGHT. ! LONDON, November 27. The Condor monoplane Brandenburg, which flew to New York in August in 1 25 hours and returned to Berlin in 19 ' hours 54 milkutes, will attempt to break 1 the record for the flight to Tokyo from Berlin, starting on Monday, with the i same crew, says the Berlin correspon- ] dent of "The Times." i AIR FORCE CORDON. 4 FATAL CRASH IN OPERATIONS. JERUSALEM, November 27. Seven Royal Air Force aeroplanes drew a cordon around villages southwest of Jerusalem, thus assisting troops who were combing out rebels. One pilot was killed in a crash. The Haifa pipeline has again been punctured, and isolated robbery and sabotage continue.