AERIAL MISHAPS

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 May 1931, Page 5

AERIAL MISHAPS

GLEN KIDSTON KILLED CRASH IN S. AFRICA [by CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] i (Recd. May 6, 10 a.m.) CAPE TOWN, May 5. A storekeeper from Nelson-Kop arrived at Navreenan, a border-town between Natal and the Orange Free State, and reported that he saw an aeropland crash. He travelled as fast as possible for sixteen miles, and found two airmen killed. A visiting card bore the name Com; mander Glen Kidston, who with Lieut. Gladstone, left Johannesburg to fly to Maritzburg, this morning. CAUGHT IN~DUST STORM. • RUGBY, May 5. Commander Glen Kidston and Cap : tain T. A. Gladstone x were killed when the aeroplane crashed during a violent dust storm at Van Reinen (Natal). ‘ Only five weeks ago Kidston flew from England to Capetown ip the record time of ‘6J days. In Norway, during the war, and since as <a racing motorist, and airman, he. had many remarkable -escapes. Captain Gladstone, formerly of the Royal Naval Ah’ Service, had done much to develop flying in central Africa. He was not marrjed. •( PREVIOUS ESCAPES FROM DEATH. LONDON, May 5. The newspapers recall Kidston’s miraculous escapes. He served in the Navy, and was twice torpedoed during the war. He was saved from’ drowning in 1927, when his racing motor-boat broke in two when travelling at ,60 miles per hour in the Solent. He was in an aeroplane smash on the White Nile in 1928, and crashed into a hedge when motoring at a speed of 95 miles per hour in Ulster in 1929. He was the only survivor when a German air liner was burned in Surrey in 1929.

“SCHNEIDER” WAGHORN . ■ J " -—-■ 1 : " SAVED BY PARACHUTE (Recd. May 6, 10 a.m.) LONDON, May 5. Flying low over Farnborough Common, during a sixty-five miles gale, a Horsley aeroplane’ piloted by the Schneider Cup pilot, WaghOrn, accompanied by the test pilot, E*,’Alexander, crashed. The occupants seized' parachutes and were carried half-a-mile. Waghorn broke an ankle and injured his head, necessitating an operation. Alexander was cut on the leg. Both were admitted to the hospital. The machine landed on a factory roof and was smashed. CANADA TO AFRICA. f —. • I HINKLER’S SECRET JOURNEY. (Recd. May 6, 11 a.m.) TORONTO, May 5. Several weeks of secrecy enveloping plans for a flight to some unannounced destination, were x unravelled today, when Hinklei’ took off from here for what is planned to be a flight across the Atlantic to Africa, with intermediate stops. Mystery still shrouded Hinkler’s plans, the only available details being from the airport workers. It was said that he intended to make the first stop on North Beach, Long Island. From there it is believed that he will proceed to Mexico, Buenos Aires, and Africa. c An airport worker said that he intended, if successful, perhaps to attempt another flight to Australia.

SEARCH FOR COURTAULD. ■ ' ■■ ‘ PLANE LEAVES ENGLAND. - [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.] RUGBY, May 5. ' One of the most experienced Arctic aviators, Major F. C. Cotton, left England today for Reykjavik (Ice--land) to assist, if necessary, in succouring Augustine Courtauld, who remained alone on the Greenland icecap. Cotton was accompanied by Lieut. L. K. Barnes, lent by the Air Ministry as relief pilot, and C. K. Bond, wireless operator, and is taking monoplane equipment for Arctic work. Cotton will attempt to reach Courtauld, should the effort being made by Captain Ahrenberg fail. Within the past week, preparations which normally take foui; months, have been completed to equip this supplementary expedition. Cotton . has done much flying.in, Labrador.. He flew over 1500 miles backwards and forwards over Newfoundland, when searching for the missing French Atlantic airmen Nungesser and Coli. ROUND-THE-WORLD VENTURE. \ (Recd. May 6, 11.5 a.m.) NEW YORK, May 5. A message from Oklahoma City states that F. C. Hall, an oil man, the backer of the projected round-the-world flight by Wiley Post and Harold Gatty, said to-day that the fliers had Ijeen refused permission to cross Russia. Senators Gore and Thomas (Oklahoma) and Borah (Idaho) were negotiating to obtain permission. The plane, which was a. high-wing monoplane, had Been overhauled and fitted with special instruments at a Californian factory, and would be ready for test flights on Saturday. The aviators will start and finish at New York. R.lOl- VERDICT LONDON, May 5. Closing the R.lOl inquest, the Coroner returned a. verdict of accidental deaths, based on the experts’ conclusions that the disaster was due to the Toss of gas in very bumpy weather. GLIDER’S RECORD. BERLIN, May 5. A Munich advibe states that, towed .by a plane, Herr Gwenhoff detached a glider and flew the world’s record distance of 166 miles. AUSTRALIAN MAIL. DELHI, May 5. The City of Karachi, with Australian air mail, arrived at Calcutta. •„