BRITISH AIR TRAGEDY

Grey River Argus, 6 May 1933, Page 2

BRITISH AIR TRAGEDY

WHOSE FAULT. (Aus. & WJZ. Cable Assn.) LONDON, May 4. Flight-Lieut.’: Erie Hobson, adjutant of the late Lord Knebworth’s Squadron, sought to take the blame for the crash at the inquest. He explained he had not attempted the spectacular. but merely an ordinary bombing dive from two thousand feet, whence it was customary to come out at five hundred feet, lie said: ‘‘l was leading a V shaped flight. The three planes began to pull out and dive at six hundred. Somehow I continued to lose height gerotisly near the ground. Knebworth was obliged to follow me. J had not. a, good view of the, ground, r cannot satisfactorily explain the happenings, except that I suffered ‘‘blacking out” whereby in a high speed. the flying mind ceases to fund ion for the- fraction of a see Olid. ’ ’ The Coroner paid a tribute tn TTohson’s 2enerositv and si ortsninnship in taking the blame, hut said he did not do himself justice. “Nobody knows what happened. and it would he more generous to say it was an i act of God.” The verdict w&S one of mlsadventure.