PLANES COLLIDE WHILE TAXI-ING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 12 June 1939, Page 7

PLANES COLLIDE WHILE TAXI-ING

MACHINES BURST INTO FLAMES WOMEN AIR PILOTS INJURED U P.A.—By Electric Telegraph— Copyright 1 MELBOURNE, 11th June. Two Moth planes belonging to the Victorian Aero Club, each piloted by a woman, collided and burst into flames while taxi-ing at Essendon aerodrome to-day. Each had a passenger, an orphan boy from the St. Vincent de Paul’s orphanage. The pilots and the boys were injured, one of the pilots critically. Mrs Gertrude McKenzie, a former Mayoress of South Melbourne, who is a commercial pilot with many hours’ experience, arranged with Miss Florence Wurtz. another aero club member, to take 30 boys from the orphanage on a series of flights over the city. The crash occurred as the planes were taking off on the first flights. Mrs McKenzie’s machine was travelling at 60 miles an hour and about to lift when it struck Miss Wurtz’s machine, which was just moving. The plane burst instantly into flames. Miss Wurtz was trapped in the cockpit and was dragged out with difficulty, receiving terrible burns. Her condition is critical. Mrs McKenzie escaped when the front of her machine split open. The two boys climbed out unaided. They suffered shock, cuts and minor burns. Five of the aerodrome staff received burns when assisting to rescue Miss Wurtz.