AIRMAN'S FATAL FALL

Nelson Evening Mail, 8 May 1916, Page 7

AIRMAN'S FATAL FALL

LIEUT.. L AID-LAW'S I>EATH

SUDDEN D&OP OF 250 FEET

A PROMISING PUPIL.

LONDON, March 24,

The accident by which Mr John Ritchie Laidilaw, of "Auckland, lost his life while flying at the Hendon Aerodrome on March 17 cast quite a gloom over the New .Zealand colony in London.. The late Mr Laidlaw, who was only 24 years of age, camei to England* last October, with the intention of taking tip aviation, and' shortly, after he joined the RuffyBaumanu School at Hehdon-. He' had been four months qualifying for his certificate, which would have made him competent for. 4 commission is one of •the services, and it is stated that the flight on Friday morning was to have been something in the nature of a test. i He ascended at 10 minutes to Bon a 50 h.p. Caudrdh.. biplane.; Apparently he climbed too steeply, arid then tried to turn before getting .the machine on to the level. The result was that the machine aide-slipped at a height of 250 feet, and nose-dived to the ground, young Laidlaw being- killed, instantaneouslv. ... J>r. Cr. A. Cohen, coroner for Central Middlesex, held the inquest on the morning of the 21st, at the;.,.Hendon Municipal Offices. Mr Edward Baumann deposed: that he was .a partner, with 'Mr, Eiuffy in. the Ruffy-Baixmann School of Aviation at Heridbh. Deceased had .bee ll their pupil for four months. He was a.satisfactory and promising pupil, and had been m the air alone about a dozen times before. Witness considered that he was quite competent to go in' the air by •himself. In the course of the .training witness had once been up -with him. had given bim, a two-hour lesson, and' -was pleased -with his progress. The machine had been: tested twice, that, morning before deceased- went-up. Witness did not see the accident, but he was speaking to- :the deceased immediately before the flight. He gave hum instructions, and told him not to .turn the machine while climbing. He cautioned him specially oh this point; telMngihim, ter ascending, to ..get the machine level, before turning.. He could, not account for the accident except.that deceased at that particular moment "was not himself " ■■?.,.- .The 'Coroner: You mean he lost "his Witness spoke in broken English, ard could not explain himself very well, but he disagreed with, this lie thought that deceased must, have become suddenly ill. ~ ' . The Coroner : There is no evidence ot any illness. . ~ ,*„ After hearing further evidence, the coroner, in the course of a short sunv ming-up, said that deceased die« .from Sriefto the head, sustained through his flying machine falling to the earth TherT wis not * ,*b«d of evidence that the machine was not in order, and inns opinion it was a case- of The jury returned a verdict accoiafuneral.of the <?ead airman "tog place this alternoon m Hendon Park cSnetery- The mourners m motor-carriages from £°lde™ -<3i een to the cemetery, where the burial seivace walread bv the Rev. E Eeas, also delivered a short address. There were a number of beautiful floral tnbutes.Herald correspondent. ,