Five Killed in Queensland Air Liner Crash

Northern Advocate, 30 August 1938, Page 7

Five Killed in Queensland Air Liner Crash

(Received 10.0 a.m.) BRISBANE, August 29. ‘p'OUR PASSENGERS AND A PILOT WERE KILLED TO-DAY, AND FOUR OTHERS WERE INJURED, WHEN A DE HAVILLAND AIR LINER, OWNED BY NORTHERN QUEENSLAND AIRWAYS, CRASHED FROM A HEIGHT OF ABOUT 350 FEET NEAR BUNDOO AERODROME, FIVE MILES FROM INNISFAIL. ALL THE PASSENGERS EXCEPT ONE BELONGED TO CAIRNS. The dead are:— Mr Henry Murtha, a well-known chemist; Misses Olga Headrick, Elsie Walsh, and E. Costin; and the pilot, Mr Benjamin Goodson. Two others were critically injured, namely, Mr C. R. Smith and Miss C. Fynn, and two received minor injuries, those being Mr Alfred Wells and Mr Arthur Valentine. The aeroplane was on its way to Brisbane from Cairns. Eyewitnesses say the engine appeared to stall, and the aeroplane lost height. The pilot tided to land, but the machine dived to the ground, emitting dense blue fumes from the engine exhausts. Mr Murtha and Miss Headrick were killed instantly, and the three others who lost their lives died later in hosaitaL Pilot Goodson was chief instructor at the Kingsford Smith Flying School at Sydney two years ago, and had a fine record.