SIR ROSS SMITH KILLED.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 15 April 1922, Page 5

SIR ROSS SMITH KILLED.

"MACHINE CRASHES DURING TEST.

LIEUT. BENNETT A VICTIM,

NEWSPAPER COMMENT,

BX CABLE—PBESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT LONDON, Aprnl 13. Sir Rcss Smith, the distinguished airsnan who flew to Australia, and Lieut. Bennet, wh6 accompanied him on that ilight, were killed while testing the machine with which they proposed a flight round the world. Sir Ross Smith and Lieut. Bennett lose at 12.15 in order to test the machine at Brooklands. Sir Keith Smith (who was also in the flight to Australia) did not participate in the trial flying. The conditions were most favourable and the machine flew perfectly for a quarter of an hour. Then it developed sl spin, and crashed and nose-dived, falling on an iron fence surrounding the xaeing track. Sir Ross Smith was killed instantaneously and Lieut. Bennett died two minutes later. The defect in the machine which caused the accident is inexplainable at present." J

Half an hour before the fatal-flight, Captain Cockerill, of the Viekers Co., lad successfully flown the machine for thirty minutes, then handing it over to Sir Ross Smith. Sir Keith Smith rjatended joining in the.trial flight, but ■°H- arrived at the aerodrome too late to -participate. He, however, was present to witness the crash. "When the machine fell Sir Keith Smith was one of the first to arrive and saw his brother removed from the ( machine to the track. A motor ambu-' lance removed the bodies to a mortu-, ary. , An eye-witness of the accident declares that the machine climbed gracefully and powerfully to a height of three thousand feet and then swung to a vertical position, one wing dipping. Then she began to spin slowly downwards, with its nose to earth. The .spectators at first thought Sir Ross Smith was '' stunting in order to test the wings", but the speed of the spinning accelerated and it was soon apparent that the machine was beyond control, and finally it crashed 150 yards from the terrific spectators. Sir Ross Smith was found dead in the seat of the machine, which was a neap of wreckage. Lieut. Bennett was •so severely injured that he expired immediately after his extrication from the wreckage. No fire broke out, and the aeroplane was intact until it reached the earth. Mr H. A. Guest (Air Minister) tele.grap_ed to Sir Keith Smith: "On behalf of the Air Council and self, please accept sincerest condolences at the tragic death of Sir Ross Smith and liieut. Bennett _jhl the eve of your round the world flight.'' Mr Guest las written to Sir Joseph Cook (High Commissioner for Australia), requesting him to convey to the deceased's relations the Air Council's profound sympathy in the tragic accident which killed two distinguished pioneers in avia-

tion on the eve of their projected world flight, which the Council had hoped gMg^9C£uld not only eclipse the historic to Australia, but would also have . tjeen -a further step in linking up by air ' v many .countries of the world, as well - as th« different parts of the Empire. The ■sudden ending of two such proinisJug lives would be everywhere felt as &a irreparable loss. The Air Ministry will hold an inquiry in a few days. Fifteen hundred Tickers' employes, who were liberated rfor, the trial, witnessed the fatal flight. One member of the Vickers' testing staff, in a statement, said: "I ascended in another machine, accompanied by who photographed Sir Eoss Smith. The machine was named the "Vickers." When under Captain Cockerill's charge she behaved -splendidly, and when Sir Eoss Smith took over the machine she -had a beautiful take and ran well. Then Sir Eoss Smith shut .off the >engine and was making for the aerodrome. He pulled her nose up, stalled, and that is all. She began to spin downwards from a height of two thousand feet, which was'not enough to permit Sir Eoss Smith to rectify it." He added that nobody will ever know exactly what happened. Sir Keith Smith was overcome with grief when he saw the -crash and flung himself across his body. NEW YORK, April 14. The New York Times, commenting on the death of Sir Eoss Smith, points out that he was a ; gxeater flier than Sir John Alcock (*h.o flew the Atlantic), adds: ■"Bath men were noted for their coolness and dexterity, yet each in an unaccountable way lost control of his machine. The conclusion must be that the airplane is a sensitive and erratic machine, which on occasions baffles the most alert and resourceful piloL

The New York WsxflQ. .calls his death a tragedy of aimsual Jratefulness, even aviation. ; —^f The Herald sajrs it is ;the irony of .'"■■ the air that it will let .a flier do things .seemingly -impossible and .then kill him when attempting .a trifle.