AIR LINER CRASHES

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 November 1931, Page 5

AIR LINER CRASHES

FIVE PEOPLE KILLED [by GABLE —PBE9B ASSN. COPYBIGHT.] (Rec. November 7,. 9 a.m.) VANCOUVER, November 6. A courtesy landing by the Camden to Washington air liner, resulted in the deaths of two pilots and three passengers. Pilot Cox, who held all the records from New York to Washington, attempted to bring the machine to a landing to enable Frank Ehle, a Philadelphia millionaire, to meet his wife at the dinner hour. Something went wrong with the machine which crashed in flames. All were burnt. Ehle’s wife witnessed the accident. BUTLER PUSHING ON. RANGOON, November 6. The airman Butler arrived here and refuelled He left at 10-45 for Victoria Point. RANGOON, November 6. But|er arrived at Victoria Point. Strong headwinds prevented him proceeding further. WORLD’S SMALLEST PLANE. LONDON, November 6. Now that Butler is approaching his goal it is appropriate to reveal that he came to England with the object of securing a position as test pilot and designer, but was unsuccessful. He

intended to return by steamer, but then approached Flight-Lieutenant Comper, a brilliant ex-meinber of the Royal Air Forces technical department, who builds light aeroplanes at Manchester, and apparently agreed to incorporate some of Butlers ideas in his own machines, for the rakish little Comper Swift is reported to be the worlds smallest plane.

MOLLISON’S CAPE VENTURE. LONDON, November 5. Mollison left Lympne at 2.57 o’clock this morning for Cape Town, but he returned at 3-28 a m. owing to meeting bad weather. A DUTCH INVENTION. LONDON, November 6. . “It is the steadiest machine I have ever been in,” said Victor Bruce, who flew from Amsterdam to Hanworth as a passenger in a Fokker-Wulf tailfirst monoplane, steered by a wheel like a motor car. “It seemed as if we were flying backward,” he said. “It can neither stall nor spin. If it loses flying speed, it simply sinks to earth.” The machine be tested by British, experts.

NEW CALEDONIA— QUEENSLAND.

MELBOURNE, November 6. The authorities have had no information whether Roffey began his flight from New Caledonia. The authorities express the opinion that he may make a trial flight to-day, and begin the overseas flight on Sunday.

A NOVEL GREETING [special to “stab.”] AUCKLAND, November 6. it is seldom the arrival of an ordinary passenger vessel is greeted by banking and wheeling and “stunting” of aeroplanes, but as the Sierra dropped anchor this morning, four planes appeared out of the blue and passengers on the steamer were treated to a quarter of an hour’s, thrills from the safety of the deck, but there vras a reason. Mr E. R. Boucher, captain of the Auckland Aero Club was aboard, as were also Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Peacock, and they were welcomed in this unorthodox way by their daughter, Miss G. N. Peacock, who has recently gained a certificate that enables her to carry

passengers. The planes flew in formation out to greet the ship and with engines roaring they encircled the vessel in a halo of noise. Plummetwise from the sky they swooped until the passengers craning out over the side thought the machines must crash into the sea, but they righted themselves and soared away and up.