AEROPLANE TRAGEDY

Taranaki Daily News, 2 December 1929, Page 3

AEROPLANE TRAGEDY

CRASH INTO ROUGH SEA DEATH OF TWO OCCUPANTS. HEROIC RESCUE EFFORTS. -f . . An aeroplane piloted by Mr. Jesse O'Connor, of Homebush, and carrying Mr. Wilbert Berg, of Lakemba, a photographer, crashed in the surf during the beach race meeting of the Royal Automobile Club of Australia at Gerringgong, 78 miles south of* Sydney, on the afternoon of Saturday, November 16. Both men perished, and the view is held that they were killed wdien the machine struck the water. The tragedy was witnessed by a large crowd, and was made the more poignant by the difficulties of reaching the aeroplane as it drifted on the breakers in a heavy sea, no proper rescue appliances being available. The flying conditions were not good. A strong north-easter kept the beach lashed with waves far above the usual lowwater mark. Messrs. O’Corron and Berg, who represented a Sydney newspaper, had flown to Gerririyong with ether members of the Aero Club of New South Wales to attend the beach races, and the programme had almost concluded when the accident occurred.

The championship car race having been decided, the officials of the Royal Automobile Club were just arranging for a match between the fastest‘ car and an aeroplane, when Messrs. O’Connor and Berg decided to ascend and photograph the race before returning to Sydney. When the engine of the aeroplane was started several of the motorists remarked that it was misfiring, but‘ it rose and circled to gain height. NOSE-DIVE INTO THE SEA. With the wind behind it, the aeroplane moved at a good speed southwards, but when at a height variously estimated at from 160 ft to 260 ft it turned again, and to the horror of a crowd of fully 2009 people, suddenly banked, stalled, and plunged in a nose-dive- into- the sea at the first line of breakers, where the water -was probably about 10ft. deep. The occurrence was so appallingly sudden that not a sound was heard from the horror-strickeiy crowd for a moment, and then there was a great rush to render what assistance was possible.

Foremost in the heroic efforts were competing motorists, fellow-journalists from Sydney, and patrols of the Royal Automobile Club of Australia, as well as local residents; but they were hampered by lack of proper appliances. No lifeline was available. Several light ropes used for marking the course and also about a mile of light insulated wire used by the timekeepers of the Royal Automobile Club were quickly pressed into service.

Men dashed into the surf, thro wing off their clothes as they ran, and organising themselves into life-line parties, but the waves and undertow were so strong that it was a considerable time before the first swimmer reached the wreckage of the aeroplane, ■which could be seen floating on the edge of the breakers. So severe were the conditions, in fact, that some of the rescuers themselves were exhausted and had to be assisted assisted ashore. FINDING OF MR. BERG’S BODY. After entering the water some hundreds of yards north of the aeroplane, swimmers ’ managed to reach it, having been swept down to it by the current, and they found tho body of Mr. Berg floating close by. . It took considerable effort to take it back to the shore where an examination was made by Professor A. N. Burkitt and Dr. Dawson, and efforts were made to restore animation, but tho crash had resulted in so many injuries, including a badly fractured skull, broken bones, and evidence of throttling from being projected violently against the cockpit of the aeroplane, that tho case was hopeless.

Tho dreadful occurrence was witnessed by Mr. O’Connor’s fiancee, Miss Edna Brown, of Haberfield. The search for Mr. O'Connor was continued throughout the evening without success, but early the following morning the body was found floating in shallow water.

The aeroplane's engine detached itself from the fuselage on the day after the disaster, and sank where the crash occurred. Tho remainder of the machine, thus lightened, drifted out to sea and was lost. RECOVERY OF MEMENTOES. The pilot of the aeroplane, Mr. Jesse Edgoose O’Connor, was 30 years of age,and a native of Port Macquarie. He was educated at the Sydney Technical High School, and was employed as a draughtsman in the Lands Department, He took up flying purely as a hobby about two and a-half years ago, and was the first pilot to win his B certificate at Mascot. He was pilot of the aeroplane which escorted the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Dudley de Chair, on his visit to Mildura by air. A number of mementoes of the airman, including the goggles he wore, the propeller of the aeroplane, and his flying suit were recovered.

Mr. Wilbert Berg seryed at tho war with the 18th Battalion as a sergeant, and displayed great heroism in action. Ho was shot in the chest and one lung was rendered useless. He was an enthusiastic photographer and unafraid of danger. He made a number of aeroplane flights, and accompanied the expedition which went to Central Australia by motor-lorry to recover the bodies of Flight-Lieutenant Anderson and Mr. Robert Hitchcock. He was 33 years of age. Mrs. Berg and one son survive him.