AIRPLANE CRASHES

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12503, 20 July 1926, Page 7

AIRPLANE CRASHES

A MASS OF FLAMES PILOT AND CADET KILLED NOTED OARSMAN A VICTIM From a height of less than 200 ft a Do idavilaud 9A dual-controlled instruction airplane from tho Australian flying school fell, spinning nose first into a paddock, Aear the railway siding at Manor, about five miles on the Geelong side of Werribee, Victoria, last week. As the machine crumpled it burst into (lames, and a farmer and his employee, who were the first to reach the spot, found the bodies of the flying-officer and the cadet, to whom lie had oeen giving instructions, lying among the wreckage burned beyond recognition. It is thought that both men were dead before the airplane caught fire. Tho names of tho victims are: Flying Officer William Arthur Holtham, aged. 28 years. Cadet Thomas S. G. Watson, aged 23 years. Te paddock into which the airplane crashed is the only place for some distance where an airplane in ordinary circumstances could have landed with safety, other paddocks nearby being either ploughed or strewn with large holders. Flying-Officer Holtham and Cadet Watson, who was what is known as a “pupil pilot,” left Point Cooke about 10 o'clock. It is understood that Flying-officer Holtham intended to instruct his pupil in making forced landings. It was about half an hour later than occupants of farm houses saw the airplane circling overhead. EYE-WITNESSES’ STORIES The machine, according to witnesses, flew smoothly over the Manor railway station to a point about Mr Palmer's property. It was then less than 200 ft in the air—a height at ■which loss of con•tjrpl is particularly dangerous. The airplane circle once or twice over the likely landing place. Suddenly it “rolled” sharply to the right, its nose drop]>ed, and it began to make a spinning dive toward the ground. The nose of the airplane struck the ground with terrific force, and the tail and wings collapsed. A few seconds later the machine was a mass of flames. The first to reach the airplane was Mr Lawrence Walker. “The machine appeared.to, be well under control when I first saw it,” Mr Walker said later. “It flew in circles and performed other evolutions. When it was about Mr Palmer's paddock it suddenly 'dipped' to tlie right and appeared to become completely out of control. Spinning, it crashed to the ground and burst into flames. I arrived at tho sceno within a few minutes, but was unable at first to approach the blazing airplane because of the great heat.” BODIES HUDDLED AMONG WRECKAGE Mr Ball saw the crash from one of his paddocks. “Directly the flames had died down a little,” he said, “Lawrence and I began to tear away the wreckagt, although we did not hope to find anyone alive. We found the bodies of the two men lying huddled among the wreckage. Their clothing had been burned off, and they were terribly mutilated.” Air Force officers would not express an opinion about the cause of the accident beyond saying that if anything, went wrong when an airplane was flying an low as 200 ft, it was most difficult to avoid a crash. The airplane was fitted with duel controls—there was a “joy stick” in each compartment sr» that either men might have been controlling the machine at the time.

The airplane, with tho possible exception of parts of the engine, will bo a complete loss. All that was left of it wo.s a tangled mass of broken fusilage, and charred and plintered wood. The engine was cracked in several places. Flying-Officer Holtham, who leaves a widow and four children, was considered one of the best instructors in the Royal Australian Air Force. During tho war he served in France with the machinegun section of tho fiOth Battalion. Ho was a noted oarsman. Cadet Watson was undergoing tho flying training course, which was inaugurated at Point Cooke on April 26th. Ho was said to be a very promising pupil.