TRAGEDY ON THE SOLENT

Taranaki Daily News, 17 March 1928, Page 15

TRAGEDY ON THE SOLENT

KINKEAD'S FATAL ACCIDENT POSSIBILITY OF POISONING. FUMES FROM ENGINE EXHAUST. By Te2cgra.nh—Press Assn. —Copyright. Received March 16, 7.30 p.m. A. and N.Z. London, March 15. A suggestion that Flight-Lieutenant Kinkead, who crashed into the Solent, was poisoned by fumes from the fuel or the engine has been made the subject of an inquiry. The medical evidence revealed that Lieutenant Kinkead was not drowned but decapitated by violent contact with some portion of the aeroplane. A specimen of his blood was sent to a laboratory to discover if ethyl lead or earbon monoxide was present and the inquest was adjourned to await the result. Officers of the aerodrome said that, judging by the naked eye, Lieutenant Kinkead was flying between 250 and 300 miles an hour. He complained of sickness during Sunday’s trial flight, which was believed to be due to the exhaust fumes. The burial will take plaee to-morrow with military honours. MACHINE WAS DOING 300 M.P.H. PILOT HOPED FOR 350 MILES. (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, March 14. It is now revealed that Kinkead, before yesterday's fatal accident, attained in a previous trial with a supermarine Napier 35 a speed of no less than 330 miles an hour, and that he was fully confident that a speed of 350 miles was attainable with his craft. Kinkead had every intention of getting this speed out of her in his fatal attempt on the record, thus scoring and putting success beyond all doubt. A further theory advanced as to the cause of the accident is that the pilot was affected by the engine fumes. Kinkead was travelling at approximately 300 miles an hour, and when about to enter the course over which the test was to be conducted, he was momentarily dazzled. As an indication of the difficulties of flying such a swift machine, it may be said that it was incapable of flying at less than 100 miles an hour, thus imposing a great strain in leaving the water, and could not glide with the engine shut off owing to the smallness oi the wings.

Rugby, March 14.