THREE KILLED

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 20, 25 January 1937, Page 9

THREE KILLED

NOTED WOMAN PILOT

SYDNEY, January 24.

One of the most colourful young personalities in Australian aviation ended her career this afternoon, when Miss May Bradford, with two passengers in her Klemm Eagle machine, crashed into a Desoutter aeroplane when taking off from Mascot aerodrome. All three were killed. The passengers are believed to have been Misses Harriet Jane Coley, aged about 40, and Ellen Latimer. Mr. P. Hoskins, owner-pilot of the Desoutter, said that he was just taxiing out to make a flight when he saw Miss Bradford's "Golden Eagle" coming towards him. Miss Bradford apparently did not see him. All he could do was to remain stationary. The "Golden Eagle" continued straight towards him, struck his left wing, passed over the top of his machine, and crashed, and brust into flames. Mr. Hoskins immediately jumped out with a fire extinguisher, which, however, was unable to cope with the flames. Another eyewitness said Miss Bradford's machine had taken off without gaining height when the accident occurred. It lost part of the undercarriage in the collision and then crashed. Mr. Hoskins and his passengers were not injured, but the wing was torn oil his aeroplane. Miss Bradford was the only woman in Australia to hold a first-class pilot's licence as well as A and B electrical engineer's ground certificates, and had just completed seven years' apprenticeship at the Mascot workshops. She was one of the competitors in the recent South Australian air race. In conversation with a representative of the New Zealand Press Association at the time of Miss Jean Batten's recent arrival from England. Miss Bradford said it was one of her ambitions to fly the Tasman solo.

Miss Coley's parents are believed to live in New Zealand. Miss Latimer formerly was resident in England.

It is definitely established that Miss Jean Sullivan, aged about 40, who was earlier believed to have been a passenger, was not a victim.