FLYING FATALITIES

Evening Star, Issue 25440, 22 March 1945, Page 4

FLYING FATALITIES

COLLISIONS IN AIR PILOT KILLED-OREW BALE OUT (PA.) WELLINGTON, March 21. Flying at 2,500 ft, a Ventura collided with a Douglas Dakota near Whenuapai to-day, and the pilot of the Ventura, Flight-lieutenant William John Famsworth, who remained with the aircraft, was killed. The Dakota had 14ft broken off one wing, but its' pilot, Flight-lieutenant D. L. Bade, made a brilliant recovery, landing it safely afc Whenuapai. Flighi-lieutenant Famsworth was killed instantly when the Ventura crashed, but the four other members of the crew baled out and escaped unhurt. They were: Sergeant E. N. Smith, navigator (Dunedin); Sergeant O. Wellington, wireless operator (Whangarei) ; Sergeant R. M. Hall, air-gunier (Oamaru): and Sergeant I. E. King,- air-gunner (Temuka). In addition to the pilot, Flight-lieu-tenant Bade, and the second pilot, Flying-oficer James Logan Eoss, the Dakota tarried two radio experts belonging 10 the United States Army Air Corpi. The vmtura was undertaking range familiarisition practice, and the Dakota was undergoing an official radio range tes\. The cause of the accident is not known and inquiries are proceeding. Flight-limtenant Farnsworth's father resides in England. His wife is Mrs M. Farnsworti, of Darfield.