TWO KILLED

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 83, 9 April 1934, Page 15

TWO KILLED

AEROPLANE TRAGEDY

MACHINE IN TAIL SPIN

{From "The Post's" Representative.)

SYDNEY, April 3,

Dr. A. K. Log Brown, one of the victims'of-the-fatal air crash at Brigk-ton-le-Sands, near. Sydney, on Easter Monday, was one of the best-known medical men in the city, but lie- had achieved fame throughout Australia as a golfer. Aviation was his hobby, and he boarded, an aeroplane at. every opportunity. His wife shared Ms interest in aviation. As a boy he played splendid golf, and was freely tipped as a coming champion. He went to America to study medicine, and on his return to Australia he justified his youthful promise as far as golf was concerned, but he was so extraordinarily nervous <on the putting greens that his superb long game never brought him high honours. Ho stated on one occasion that he lost more than 141b in weight while he was contesting the amateur championship. Ho was only a little more than Bst, but he could hit a golf ball incredible distances.

The aeroplane . that crashed was a new Moth, which, fell from a height of 600 ft at a speed estimated at. 70 miles an hour. The second occupant of the machine was Thomas. Pieldsend, a North Maitland 'business man, who, it is said, was considering buying the Moth for his privato use. It took tho rescuers nearly twenty minutes to release Fieldseud, for the fuselage was reduced to matchwood, although it crashed in swampy ground. SeniorInspector Thomas Johnson, of the Civil Aviation Department, who is himself recovering from a crash which occurred shortly before Christmas, was only 200 yards away from the spot, where-the machine fell, and he was among those who witnessed the tragedy.

The aeroplane was about a mile from the aerodrome at Mascot when'the engine suddenly cut out and it wont into a spin and fell at a fast rate. As Johnson saw what was happening he imagined that the pilot was endeavouring to right the machine, and as it came closer and closer to the ground he cxelaiiiicd, "The pilot is leaving it too late." The aeroplane then crashed into, soft ground. Both wings were shattered, and the front portiou was reduced to splinters. Both cockpits were crushed in, and there was a stream of petrol from the tanks. Dr. Leo Brown was quickly removed from the wreckage, but Sir. Fieldsend was tightly wedged between broken fittings, fabric, and woodwork. Ho was bleeding from' terrible wounds and was unconscious. It was found that Dr. Lee Brown had a fractured ankle, fractured ribs, and internal injuries. Ambulance men placed a special splint on his ankle while he pJuckily gave directions. He breathed with difficulty, and asked for oxygen, but none was available until lie readied hospital. Both1 men.died soon after they were admitted to hospital.