COLLISION IN MID-AIR

Evening Star, Issue 19795, 20 February 1928, Page 4

COLLISION IN MID-AIR

AIR FORCE TRAGEDY (British Official Nows.)' Press Association—By Wireless—Copyright RUGBY, February 17. When flying over the cliffs near Capel, between Folkestone and Dover, this afternoon, two Royal Air Force aeroplanes collided at a height of 2,000 ft and crashed. The machines, which were single-seater Grebes, belonged to tho 25th Equadron, and were piloted by Flying Officer 'Welsh and Flying Officer Watson. Watson was picked up badly injured, and died later. Welsh dropped by parachute from his machine when about I,ooolfc up, ami was carried nearly half a mile before lading on the telegraph wires on tho Folkestone-Dover main road. Tho fall broke the wires, but Welsh escaped injury. A MOCK FLIGHT. LONDON, February 18. The two Air Force lighting machines were engaged in a mock combat when they collided. Tho wings seemed to interlock, then the machines were seen spinning round out of control. The machines went on fire, and the pilot jumped clear, but apparently too late. His parachute failed to open, and he wsa terribly injured, and died as soon as ho reached the hospital. _ The other pilot jumped out, and his parachute opened, but a strong wind almost carried him out to sea. fiortunalcly, he was caught in some telegraph wires, and ho was able to drop off unhurt. ACCIDENTS IN AMERICA FIVE DEATHS. NEW YORK, February 18. Two aeroplane accidents resulted in five deaths. A ’plane foil in the main thoroughfare of Macon, Georgia, and killed two filers and one pedestrian, while a heavy wind bled a second ’plane against a tower in Columbia, South Carolina, and two young young passengers were burned to death. The pilot was tossed clear of the wreckage, and escaped uninjured.