“MR. X.” KILLED IN CRASH

Northern Advocate, 25 May 1936, Page 6

“MR. X.” KILLED IN CRASH

’PLANE CAUGHT FIRE 'tr a gic end to JAVA FLIGHT C United Press Association.-By Electric Telegraph. — Covyright.l (Received 10 a.m.) SYDNEY, May 24 was received at Sydney this afternoon of the tragic death of the well-known airman, Mr W. M. O’Hara, Tasman flier, who crashed shortly after taking off at Eumungerie, 315 miles west of Sydney. The aeroplane caught fire, and Mr O’Hara was almost incinerated. f,;:, ■ ' ! * ' Since the flier left Sydney on the first stage of a leisurely flight to Java, he had been staying on a sheep station, the property of Mr Justice Boyce’s son, Mr R. E. Boyce, 40 miles from Dubbo. His Klem aeroplane was parked a mile away in a paddock. Mr O’Hara motored to the paddock this morning with a party of friends,

including the wife of Mr Justice Boyce. The airman took pff for Dubbo, where he had intended to pick up a hat, and to continue to Cootamundra, where he had proposed to N have luncheon with a fellow-airman, Mr Butler.

The machine rose to sy height of 200 feet and circled. Mr O’Hara waved a farewell and then banked sharply. The machine immediately nose-dived, to the earth and into flames. The airman was thrown four feet from the aeroplane, but not out of reach of the flames, and he was soon a human torch. His friends could not approach him owing to the heat, but finally they dragged him away with a branch of a tree.

j An examination of the body revealed that many of Mr O’Hara’s bones were broken, and that he had suffered injuries to the head, which, themselves, it is thought, proved fatal. The body will be brought to Sydney, to,await the relatives’ instructions in regard to the burial. Stalling of the engine is believed to be the cause of the plane’s nose dive. The machine was completely destroyed, even aluminium parts of the engine being reduced to small heaps of powder resembling powdered chalk. A number of lantern views of New Zealand scenes were found about 15 feet from the wreckage. The Air Accident Investigation Committee has sent a special representative to the scene. Born at Thames in 1899 Mr O’Hara was the .eldest son p-E Mrs M. O’Hara, apd the late Mr. Patrick O’Hara, of Wharepoa, Thames Valley. Educated at the Kopu and other Thames schools, he later studied at the Sydney University, find .after serving in the war, .went to Pfimpit, Java, where he had interests in rubber and coffee plantations. Vin 1934 he visited New Zealand, spending some time with his mother end brother-in-law, Mr E. Mclntyre, Who is manager of the Bank of New Zealand at Warkworth. Mr O’Hara came into public prominence in, October, 1935, when he flew solo across the Tasman, taking 12 hours 47 minutes for the journey from Gerrigong Beach, New South Wales, to the Mangere Aerodrome, Auckland. He kept his identity a secret at the time of his departure, “because,” as he explained later, “I did not want to cause my mother and relatives any anxiety.”

j After spending some time in the Dominion, Mr O’Hara, left by the . Monowai and arrived in Sydney on May 5. He' took his plane with him and set out to fly to Java in the machine. He left Mascot Aerodrome, Sydney, last Monday.