Lufthansa Liner Falls in Flames

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7061, 8 November 1929, Page 5

Lufthansa Liner Falls in Flames

SIX PASSENGERS KILLED BOUND FOB AMSTERDAM' FROM CROYDON AIRDROME British Official Wireless. RUGBY, Nov. 8. Six persons met their death to-day when an- air liner of the German Lufthansa Company crashed in flames at Harden Park, between Godstone and Caterham, in Surrey. There were eight persons aboard—four passengers and four of a crow. Two persons escaped with injuries. The dead are Schinka, the first pilot; Ulrich, the mechanic; Niklas, the wireless operator; Mr. D. L. Janes, a passenger to Amsterdam; and Messrs C. W. Milne and H. S. Jasper, passengors to Berlin.

Tho injured are Prince von Schamm-burg-Lippc, the second pilot, and Lieu-tenant-Commander Glen Kidson.

The machine left Croydon this morning at about a quarter to ton o’clock for Amsterdam. A dense fog and low clouds over the Surrey hills are believed to have caused the disaster, which occurred when the liner was flying at nearly 100 miles an hour. The pilot apparently misjudged the height of the trees on Foster Down, which is part of the North Downs, and crashed, the wings being suspended on tho top of the trees, but the fuselage crashed through to the ground below. There was a loud explosion and the fuselage, with tho passengers, burst into flames. Prince von Schammburg-Lippe crawled from the wreckage and, with blood streaming from , his face and hands, went to a cottago nearby. He stammered in Polish: — “Have y-ou a telephone?”

There being no telephone at the cottage the Prince rushed to the nearest telephone to communicate with Croydon.

L icutcna nt - Commander Kidson jumped clear as tho ’plane came down. He tried to get the other passengers out, but was driven back by the flames. He was taken by car to a cottago hospital at Caterham. Before this, however, he also insisted upon telephoning the news of the disaster to Croydon. The Secretary for Air has sent the following message to the German Min istcr of Transport:— . “The Air Council have heard with profound regret of the accident to the Lufthansa air liner, cn route from Croydon to Amsterdam, and the loss of life involved.”