N.Z. Woman Killed

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 8, 25 January 1937, Page 7

N.Z. Woman Killed

-Press Assn.-

AEROPLANE SMASH Aviatrix and Second Woman Passenger Dead TRAGEDY AT MASCOT

(By Telegfaph-

-Copyright.)

(Eeceived 25, 8.45 a.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 24. . One of the most cOlottrfUl young personalities in Australian aviation ended her career this afternoon, when Miss May Bradford with two passengers in her Kleanm Eagle machine crashed into a Desoutter plane when taking off at Mascot aerodrome. All three were killed. The passengers were Misses Harriet Jane G'oley and Ellen Latimer, botL aged about 40. Miss Coley came froiu iNew Zealand and Miss Latimer recently arrlved from England. The 15-year-old son of May Bradford, who in private life wae Mrs Shepherd, and hundreds of other people witnessed the tragedy, which was Oue of the worst iu the history of fiying in this State. The three women were strapped to their aeats and had no chanee of escape. Mr P. Hoskins, owner-pilot of the Desoutter, said: "I was just taxi-ing off to make a fiight when I eaw Miss Bradford^ ' Golden Eagle ' coming towards me* Miss Bradford apparently did not see me. All I could do was to remain slationary. The Golden Eagle continued straight towaras me, struek my left wing and passed over the top. ' ' Her machine crashed and. burst into flames. Hoskins iminediately jumped out with a fire extinguieher which was unable to cope with the flames. Other eye-witnesses said Miss Bradford 's machine iiad taken off without gaining height when the accident occurred. It lost part of the undercarriage in the collision and then crashed. Hoskins and his passengers were uninjured. The wing wae torn off his plane. Miss Bradford was the only woman in Australia to hold a first-class pilot 's licence as well as *he A and B and electrical engineers ' and ground certificates. She had just completed seven years* apprentieeship in the Mascot workshops and Was one of the cornpetitor.s in the recent air raee.