TWO AVIATORS KILLED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20113, 26 November 1928, Page 12

TWO AVIATORS KILLED.

A CRASH AT HENDON.

TRAGEDY NEAR ROYAL BOX.

VISITING SULTAN A SPECTATOR.

[rno.M our own correspondent.]

LONDON, Oct. 1(5,

An imposing aonal display arranged for tho Sultan of Muscat ended in tragedy. A Fairey Fox bomber crashed in front of tho Royal box at Hendon and the two occupants were killed instantly. 1 hey wero Flight-Lieut. W. E. Somervell and Corporal Loud.

Tho accident occurred almost at tho end of tho display when a "fly-past" of five different types of bombers was taking place. Tlig machine had left tho ground only a few moments beloro. It circled and was almost immediately opposito tho Sultan's enclosure in tho grandstand, flying at a terrific speed, when its tail suddenly snapped off and tho machino nose-dived to tho ground. Corporal Loud, who was in tho rear seat, sprang from the falling plane in tlio effort to save his life, but tho altitude was too low for his parachute to act effectively, and falling over a hundred feet, ho was killed instantly. As tho noso of tho neroplano hit tho ground it seemed as though a sholl had burst. Splinters of flying woodwork and fabric scattered in all directions, and clouds of thick dust tna tho wreckage from tho sight of spectators. When tho dust lifted it was seen thai the noso of tho machino was buried deep in tho earth.

, Tho Sultan, who had cried out in his native tongue when tho tragedy occurred, afterwards turned to his interpreter and exclaimed: "This is terrible. lam 60 sorry that this tragedy should havo happened during a display in my honour." Having expressed his sympathy to the commanding officer, ho left tho aerodrome in a closed car. The Sultan returned to his hotel. A member of his suite stated that tho Sultan was much upset by tho fatality. "It has naturally had a depressing effect upon him," he said. "Ho feels it very keenly, especially as the display was staged for him. He wishes to express his intenso sympathy with tho bereaved relatives." This is the 65th 11. A.F. fatality this year. There wore 55 last year. An aeronautical expert who saw the accident said that he thought tho crash was due to tho excessive speed of tho plane. Ho expressed tho view that tho machine was going at a. far greater speed than tho tail could stand. "The piano had come close to the ground in a nosedive, out of which the pilot found himself unablo to get. When ho attempted to ascend again his controls must have broken, and the tail was wrenched off."

Many feats which to the ordinary spectator had appeared dangerous had been successfully performed before tho disaster took place. Tiny fighters had dashed through the air. looping the loop and doing the difficult "fluttering leaf" display, and there had not been the slightest approach to an accident.