WOMEN PILOTS INJURED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 136, 12 June 1939, Page 9

WOMEN PILOTS INJURED

TAKE-OFF CRASH

ONE IN CRITICAL CONDITION

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.)

MELBOURNE, June 11

Two Moth planes belonging to the Victorian Aero Club, veach piloted by a woman, collided and burst into flames while taxi-ing at Essendon Aerodrome today. Each had as a passenger an orphan boy from the St. Vincent de Paul Society's orphanage. * The pilots and the boys were injured, one of the pilots critically.

Mrs. Gertrude McKenzie former Mayoress of South Melbourne, who is a commercial pilot with many hours' experience, arranged with Miss Florence Wurtz, another aeroclub member, to take 30 boys from the orphanage on a series of flights over the city. The crash occurred as the planes were taking off on the first flights.

Mrs. McKenzie's machine was travelling at 60 miles an hour and was about to lift when it struck Miss Wurtz's machine, which was just moving. The latter plane burst instantly into flames. Miss Wurtz was trapped in the cockpit and was dragged out with difficulty, receiving terrible burns. Her condition is critical.

Mrs. McKenzie escaped when the front of her machine split open.

The two boys climbed out unaided. They suffered shock, cuts, and minor burns.

Five of the aerodrome staff received burns when assisting to rescue Miss Wurtz.