AERIAL TRAGEDIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 August 1936, Page 7

AERIAL TRAGEDIES

CRASH AT CROYDON

FOUR LIVES LOST

[by CABLE —PBEBS ASSN. —COPYBIGHT.]

LONDON, August 10.

An Imperial Airways twin-engined Vickers Veilox biplane crashed, behind a row of houses after bouncing off the roofs while taking off from Croydon at 2.15 a.m. to-day. The three members of the crew, Captain Miles Fergusson (an Australian, second pilot), Captain J. Orr (first pilot) and Mr Arbuckle (wireless operator), were killed. The bodies were recovered terribly mutilated. The machine, which was fitted with

he latest devices, including night fly-

ing apparatus, and an automatic pilot, carried no passengers. It was engaged in an experimental night freight service between London and Paris. An eye-witness saw the aeroplane

flying low and heard a loud report, after which the lights went out and the engines cut, out. It appeared to

turn, presumably to return to the aerodrome. The -machine rapidly lost height. ■ The wing touched a chimney and the aeroplane spun round

and crashed, shattering the windows of the house. It burst into flames, which leapt 50 feet into the air, setting fire to two houses. The machine was badly damaged. The. street was packed with spectators. Rescue attempts were impossible because of the intense heat. Fire engines fought the flames for an hour before recovering the first body. Captain Orr had been operating an experimental service for two months. Captain Fergusson, who was making his first trip, was one of six Imperial Airways pilots recently awarded a

first-class air navigator’s certificate, the highest honour in air navigation.

ANOTHER FATAL CRASH

LONDON, August 10.

Two were killed when a Royal Air Force machine crashed in the sea off Pagham. The machine belonged to No. 604 Auxiliary Squadron, based at Tangmere. CHICHESTER’S FLIGHT.

SHANGHAI. August 10. The Soviet refused permission to the New Zealanders, Chichester and Herick to traverse Russia. They hope to take the alternative route via northern India to England.

FRISCO-SYDNEY SERVICE.

(Received August 11, 1 p.m.) SYDNEY, August 11.

Mr. Edward G. Cahill, manager of public utilities for San Francisco, who arrived by the Mariposa, said that he was almost certain that an air-mail service would be operating between San Francisco and Sydney, on a schedule of at the most six days, within eighteen months.