AIRMAN KILLED

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8349, 8 February 1913, Page 11

AIRMAN KILLED

FATAL END OF BROOKLANDS TU EDINBURGH FLIGHT. DISASTROUS GALE. AEROPLANE DASHED TO PIECES NEAR REDCAK. While on a non-stop cross-country flight from Brooklauds to Edinburgh an English airman, Mr Edward Petre, met witn disaster at Marske-by-tlie-Sea, near Redcur, Yorkshire. The airman,, who had left Brooklauds at 9.15, had already accomplished nearly' two-thirds of his 395mile journey when, about 12.30, be found himself caught in a south-westerly gale, which threatened to blow him to sea. As the shore was only a few hundred yards distant Petre made gallant efforts to turn his machine round again. , After succeeding in doing so several times, he apparently gave up the struggle, for, according to the only eye-witness, a man named Walker, Petre suddenly threw up both hands and almost immediately tho machine fell into a ditch, i'ho aeroplane was smashed to pieces and the airman killed instantaneously. Walker witnessed the accident from the main street of the village. When he reached the scene of the disaster iie found the airman beyond all aid. Mr Edward Petre, who was in his twenty-sixth year, was the first airman to fly along the course of the Thames, from the mouth to Putney Bridge. This ho did on July 28th last, travelling from Fairlop, Essex, to Brooklauds against a heavy wind, at a height of 3000 ft. He began studying aviation in 1908, at his home in Essex, and in the following year he and his brother Henry built a monoplane, which was exhibited in tho Aero Show of 1910. At the conclusion of the show the Petres took the machine to Brooklands, but met with little success, and eventually the monoplane was smashed up. The brothers parted soon after this, and Edward began flying the Flanders monoplane. He competed in the military trials last summer at Salisbury. He then joined the Martin Handasyde Go., as pilot, and since that date had been flying at Brooklands. During this time he made many cross-country flights to Ramborough. Two months ago he had a very narrow tsiape from death at Aldershot, his monoplane coming down in a field tTi m a height of 1000 feet, and being smashed to matchwood after turning a complete somersault. On November 22nd Mr Petre attained a height of 10,000 feet at Salisbury Plain. He was a native of Ingatestone. His brother Henry left England on December 6th for Australia, where he has obtained an appointment as flying instructor to the Government. Mr E. Petre was the twenty-second British airman to be killed, and tr© fifteenth last year. Amongst Continental airmen the .death roll has reached about 200, ■ ,