MOTH PLANE TRAGEDY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 9 January 1929, Page 6

MOTH PLANE TRAGEDY

TWO YOUNG MEN KILLED

FIERCE RUSH OF FLAMES

After spinning several limes in the air from a’ height of 300 ft., a Moth aeroplane .nose-alived, crashed to the ground, and burst into flames at Essendon, Melbourne, on Boxing Day. The pilot and a passenger, who were apparently killed instantly, were burned almost beyond recognition. Their names were:— Brian Rhodes, aged 21, motor salesman, and Alfred Heaton, age-d Id, mechanic.

Rhodes left the Essendon aerodrome shortly after 5 o’clock in the afternoon in a De Ilavilaiid Moth aeroplane. Heaton, who was a frequent visitor to tiie aerodrome, had persuaded Rhodes to take him for a flight. According to the stories of several eye-witnesses the aeroplane had been in .the air for only a few minutes when it swerved suddenly and descended in a series of spirals over an open paddock near the aerodrome. Suddenly the machine nose-dived and crashed to the ground. For some seconds it was completely obscured by dense smoke and then fierce flames burst from it. Several people rushed to the paddock, but by the time they had arrived —about 30 minutes af.tsr the accident—the aeroplane had been practically destroyed and the pilot and the passenger were dead.

Mr William Williams, of .Ascot Vale, who saw the accident, said that there was a more than usually heavy discharge from the exhaust pipe at the beginning of the spin. He saw a spurt i ? flame from sonic part of the engine just before the l ’plrino dived to the ground.

Brian Rhodes was the only son of Mr J. S. Rhodes, managing director of Rhodes Motor Co. Ply., Ltd. After leaving school be went to lim United States for business experience. Ho was an enthusiastic member of the Australian Aero Club, Victorian section. He .held a pilot’s license.

Heaton was a mechanic employed by the State Electricity Commission. He was advised two days before his death that he had been accepted as a candidate for admittance to the Royal Australian .Air Force.