PLANE FALLS IN FLAMES.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18625, 22 July 1930, Page 9

PLANE FALLS IN FLAMES.

Tragic Aerial Disaster.

OCCUPANTS BURNED TO DEATH. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph —Copyright (Received July 21, 7.10 p.m.) LONDON, July 20. After visiting relatives at Chatham by air, Naval-Lieutenant S. E. N. Spencer, and Miss Gladys Grace, daughter of Admiral H. E. Grace, and grand-daughter of the cricketer, W. G. Grace, took off from Detling aerodrome, near Maidstone. They circled around, looped the loop, and were repeating the latter movement, when the ’plane nosedived from a low altitude, crashed, and burst into flames. Both occupants of the ’plane were burned to death. Miss Grace’s brother in-law, Commander Worthington, and his wife, witnessed the crash. They dashed to the aeroplane but were driven back by sheets of flame. The plane was a two-seater, owned and piloted by Naval-Lieutenant Spencer, who was a keen flier. Miss Grace, who was twentv-six years of age. and was an excellent pilot, narrowly escaped death in March, when a machine crashed near Hamble, after a 2000 ft nosedive. She was severly injured as the result of this last accident, but recovered and resumed flying. Her sister, Bessie crashed at the same spot in 1928, but was not so badly hurt.