AERIAL TRAGEDY

Northern Advocate, 24 September 1927, Page 7

AERIAL TRAGEDY

GERMANY’S WORST CRASH. SIX LIVES LOST. * * AMBASSADOR TO U.S. INCLUDED.^ (Received 11.54 a.m.) - . BERLIN 1 September 23. :li| The German Ambassador to ; the ■ United States, Baron von Maltza, alsothe traffic manager of the Lufthansa,..-’ a high railway official, who was a pas-? 1 senger, and the pilot, were killed, a mechanic seriously injured- in ; aeroplane crash at Sehletz. —A. andc N.Z. ' ' > ■ ■-j - STORY OP THE" DISASTER-.' ' ''■£ A TERRIBLE AFFAIR. , ' A (Received 1.40 p.m.) v’ ! BERLIN, September It is now reported that thexs 4 wore - six deaths in the Sehletz accident, which was the worst crash in tory of German civil aviation. * A huge passenger plane, which been engaged for some months in' the Lufthansa’s Berlin —Munich i ; Berviypss was ;en route to Munich end passing over Sehletz when it developed a, feet. The pilo'l appeared to -try' land. Some say a wing broke off.jOt|jp ers report an explosion, followed by sheet of flame from the engine, after which a wing was detached at a height - of 500 feet. The plane spun earthwards, and overturned, ablaze, at., a height of 300 feet. It was an. inf of- • no when it crashed in pieces,; under which the occupants were imprisoned.]? All were fearfully scorched and mutiiated. P'* ** The mechanic, Felier, was just but soon expired. The others were, apparently killed instantly. - - ; The cause of the, disaster is ,a mystery. The plane was overhauled b'e-v fore starting and certified .as, air-' worthy. It had not entered treacherous mountain zone when -.it* collapsed. Baron Maltza was on holiday from,. America. He had conferred with Pre-,; sindent Hindenburg and membersof i the cabinet and arranged to return to . New York on October 7. He was ea' route to Munich to rejoin Ms wife and|| little daughter. - s■’ Others killed were Herr Von the Lufthansa’s mechanical director/-*-Herr Roell, director of the Reich, ways, the pilot, who had flown on route for . months, and an pilot. It is recalled that Count Maltzao| came into diplomatic prominence originator of the Rapallo Treaty. He had a disagreement in 1914 with the' Kaiser, who rejected a proposal toj.i cede Tsingtao to Japan to prevent the latter’s entry into the war.-—-A; -anc^ N.Z. '■'* V* -