PARACHUTE TRAGEDY

Evening Star, Issue 23000, 4 July 1938, Page 7

PARACHUTE TRAGEDY

SEUARS FALLS 1,500 FEET TO DEATH ' PARACHUTES ONLY PARTLY FILL [Peb United Press Association.] WESTPORT, July 3. G. W. Sellars, the New Zealand parachute jumper, met his death yesterday afternoon during the Westport Aero Clubs pageant, when both his parachutes failed completely to open at a height of 1500 feet, and he crashed to his death on the North Beach. The tragedy occurred when Mr Sellars was making an exhibition descent. He had previously undertaken to make two jumps, but because of unfavourable weather conditions he decided to give only one exhibition. Conditions Unfavourable Mr Sellars had come from Auckland under special commission to the Westport Aero Club to give two exhibition parachute jumps as a special performance at the opening of the new aerodrome on the North Beach. He had been driven from Christchurch in the morning by car through the Lewis Pass. When he reached Westport and noted the unfavourable weather conditions prevailing, he made the announcement that he would give only one exhibition. Before going up on the flight he inspected the parachutes m the club’s hangar. A heavy shower of rain, had just fallen, but this was followed by a temporary lull in the weather. The plane, a Tiger Moth, was piloted by Flight-lieutenant W. Parker, instructor at the West Coast United Aero Club, who, strangely enough, taught Mr Sellars to fly. The machine took off after the other machines had taken the air in turn, and flew back across the town, swinging after a good distance had been covered, and gaining the necessary elevation. As the plane crossed the aerodrome, making out to the beach, Mr Sellars no doubt was relying on the force of the wind to drift him hack to the aerodrome. Parachutes Only Partly Fill When he appeared over the side of the cockpit prior to leaving the plane a tense atmosphere prevailed over the assemblage. He jumped and appeared to be falling head downwards for a considerable distance before the first parachute went up and partly filled. His descent was rapid, and he released the second = parachute, which also failed to fill with air. The parachutist fell rapidly to earth and hit the beach near the aerodrome with terrific force." He was apparently killed almost instantaneously, his body being practically smashed to a pulp. An inquest was opened to-day, when formal evidence of identification was given by Mr D. F. Gemmil, secretary of the Westport Aero Club, and was then adjourned sine die. The body will be taken to Dunedin for burial. CAREER DF DECEASED Familiar to all Dominion people who 1 have attended aviation displays at the Taieri aerodrome in the past two years, and known practically throughout New Zealand, George W. Sellars, single, aged 28, was the second person to qualify as a parachute jumper in New Zealand. Quite recently, at the Mangere aerodrome, Auckland, he made his 200th descent, and he held the Dominion record of over 7000 ft for a parachute drop—a jump made last November. He was the third victim of such a tragedy in New Zealand. Born at Green Island, Sellars was educated at the Balclutha District High School anil started his career as a railway fireman. Although sensitive as a boy, he earned a reputation as a dare-devil in his early youth because of incidents with which he was associated during his railway service. Taking up flying in 1931 under the instruction of Squadronleader Olson at the Otago Club’s aerodrome, he qualified for his A licence, and later continued flying in Wellington. Influenced by watching several parachute descents by the late “ Scotty ” Fraser, Sellars received practical parachute training at the Wigram Aerodrome, Christchurch, in 1935. He was instructed by Mr Bernard Skinner, formerly a United States Army parachutist and a member of the Byrd Antarctic expedition. The rudiments of dropping were learned from Mr Fraser, and Sellars then became a professional parachutist, travelling throughout the country. He made his first appearance without announcement at Mangere on May 17, 1936. Determined one day to jump from an altitude of over 20,000 feet, Sellars aimed to create a British Empire record descent. At one time his parachute licence was taken from him, but was soon restored, and he normally used two parachutes for his exhibitions, many of which were - of a spectacular nature. In spite of his skill, he had had several narrow escapes from tragedy. Once at Carterton he was caught, up in hightension power lines, and last November landed on an island in the Manukau Estuary at Auckland. At Christmas, in the role of Santa Claus, he attempted to land in the Domain, but fell into the Winter Gardens. , „ Sellars was a member of the Otago and Auckland Aero Clubs, and under the name of “Wings” regularly broadcast an aviation session from an Auckland radio station. Two parachutists previously jumped to death in New Zealand. The first tragedy occurred at Oamaru on May 2, 1931, when the Norwegian expert Lieutenant Qviller fell 5400 feet and his parachute failed to open. Similar circumstances resulted in the death_ of “ Scotty ” Fraser, a pupil of Lieutenant Qviller, who fell 1500 feet, the same distance as Sellars, into the waters of Lyall Bay on March 28, 1936.