EXPERTS BAFFLED

Taranaki Daily News, 19 July 1935, Page 15

EXPERTS BAFFLED

DEATH OF A PARACHUTIST. UMBRELLA FAILS TO OPEN. A verdict of "death by misadventure” was returned at the inquest at Macclesfield on Ivor Damian Price, aged 27, the London parachutist who fell to death while making a descent at Woodford Aerodrome, Cheshire, says the DailyTelegraph. It was stated that Price had made over 800 descents and was one of the “best packers of parachutes the world had produced.” Price was making a dual drop with Miss Naomi Heron-Maxwell, a granddaughter of the Earl of Macclesfield, in Sir Alan Cobham’s air . circus when he was killed, before the eyes of his bride of a fortnight, and his brother. Geoffrey Arthur Virley Tyson, the pilot fr-m whose aeroplane Price made his last leap, describing the accident, said: “We were about 1000 feet up and Price jumped from the wing, the normal Way of taking off. I watched him drop until I saw the parachute actually begin to open. He was then falling backwards, and this might prevent the parachute from coming away from his body. He was then able to pull it away, however, as I saw him do so.”

The Deputy Coroner (Mr. H. R. Green): Did you see the cords extend attached to the umbrella?—Yes, I saw them stream out and I did not see him after that. Evidence was given by experts that the parachute never completely opened. The ri; cord had been pulled and was not damaged. The shroud lines were twisted, which might have been due to faulty, packing, or to. the efforts made to move the parachute from Price on the ground. Several experts, including the managing director of the firm of Russell-Lobe,. who made the parachute, said they could not explain why it had failed to open. A doctor said death was due to laceration of the brain following spinal injuries. It was stated that there had been no previous parachute accident with the National Aviation Display Company, although Price had had a minor accident in 1932. The jury, returning a verdict as stated, said there vzas insufficient evidence to show why the parachute should fail to open. No one was to blame.