AVIATION DISASTER

Northern Advocate, 18 November 1929, Page 6

AVIATION DISASTER

NOSE-DIVE INTO SEA TWO LIVES LOST. PILOT AND PHOTOGRAPHER. (United Press Association— By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Deceived 8.35 a.m.) SYDNEY, November 17. The Automobile Clmb.’s races '.u Seven-mile Beach at Kiama ffiere marred by a tragedy yesterday afternoon, when a Moth plane crashed in the sea.

The pilot, Jesse O’Conner, and a passenger, William Berg, Daily Guardian” photographer, who was taking pictures of the races, were both drowned.

The plane nose-dived several hundred feet just outside the breakers. Rescuers ' swam out and found Berg’s body near the plane, which was badly smashed, the engine being wrenched clear of the fusilage. O’Conner’s body was not seen. It is .thought that possibly it is entangled in the machine. Several rescuers were badly knocked about in the rough surf.

it is now reported that ()’• onner s lodv (was recovered yesterday.

PATHETIC ASSOCIATIONS,

FIANCEE A SPECTATOR

BERG FLAT RECALLED.

(Received 9 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day,

Captain Holden, who witnessed the plane accident! at ,Seven-Mile Beach, said that evidently the eir gine stalled owing to the plane’s slow air sliced. Pilot (!) ’Connor was an experienced man and popular with airmen. His fiancee witnessed the smash.

Berg was widely known. His greatest achievement was wben he journeyed to Alice Springs jvith the expedition to recover the bodies of Anderson and Hitchcock, who perished while searching for the Southern Cross. He was the first cameraman to penetrate the heart of North Australia desert country. He was also the first Press photographer to meet his death while covering an assignment in an aeroplane. He had just bought a car to go on a holiday with his wife.