INTERNATIONAL AIR RACE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19158, 26 October 1925, Page 9

INTERNATIONAL AIR RACE.

BRITISH MACHINE LOST.

CRASH IN A TRIAL FLIGHT. POSTPONEMENT OF THE EVENT. By Telegraph- -Press Association—Copyright. (Received 5.5 p.ra.) A. and N.Z.—Reuter. BALTIMORE. Oct. 24. Britain's "mystery plane," the supermarine Napier S4, crashed on Friday while she was undergoing navigability trials for the Jaques Schneider trophy race. She was totally wrecked. A series of wing flutters and side slips led to a nose-dive into Chesapeake Bay. On the water the machine capsized. The pilot, Captain Henry Baird, wearing a lifebelt, cleared away the wreckage. As the plane sank Captain Hubert Broad tossed down a second lifebelt from his plane.

A patrol-boat then rescued Captain Baird, who was dazed. He could not explain the occurrence. Captain Baird is now in bed, and hi* doctors fear he may develop pneumonia. He had been ill for several days and had only left his bed each day to fly for a few minutes.

The accident was expected to result in both the British Gloster-Napiers competing in the cup race. These include a (3S) reserve plane of which Bert Hinckler, of Melbourne, is the pilot. The latter machine, however, did not take part in the navigability test on account of the darkness and unsafe flying conditions. Consequently Britain will enter the race with only one of the Gloster Napiers, piloted by Captain Hubert Broad.

The entries include three Italian and three American planes. The five pilots of the latter signed a petition asking that Hinckler should be allowed to qualify before the race. To this the referee, Mr. Ericson, agreed. The Australian, however, failed to qualify today owing to his engine stalling. The British competitors are trying to secure a. substitute for the crashed machine.

The race has been postponed until Monday owing to stormy weather.