THREE KILLED IN CRASH.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 November 1920, Page 5

THREE KILLED IN CRASH.

-'I TRAGEDY AT NEW PLYMOUTH ÜBY, THE MAYOR, AND PILOT DEAD HUNDREDS BEE THE FALL

4 tewible. w&ttes ssft&te* kw.lvlag &§ feaJtfc %f &»» smpie occurred in N&W ffyt&Qtt.th a.fea\tf i.13 p,w, «&<&». Messrs, Walsh lr<js,* Av¥<o Avenue s<>»& le&d are;-= Kathjeen Wa*ft«c>» aged. 25; a resuteat i»t New PJjwnufe. Jfanwa*Cta»ke» agftd 41 3 the Kay«r of New Plymouth. Captain Richard Russell, BJ\C?.,., Chroix de Cfuarre., agea 26, the pilot. The disaster occurred during gne of the many passenger flights which Captain Russell has made here this "reek, and! only an hour before fce had amazed thousands of spectators by carrying oat a remarkable exhibition of fancy flying, demonstrating the Wonderful control ae had oyer th* machine. TMs, exhibition completed, arrangements were made to carry.out further flights with passengers, and a few minutes after four o'clock Mr. Clarke and Miss Warnock joined Captain Russell. The flight opened with complete success, and the 'plane made a perfect circuit of the racecourse, crossing the Boys' High School before turning to land again. The turn was completed and the engine was shut off to allow the machine to descend slowly. Then suddenly the onlookers were startled to see the 'plane topple, and fall swiftly downwards, crashing i n a paddock adjoining Mr. D, Hutchen's residence. ( / The crash was a, terrific one, and the machine was completely wrecked. Miss Warnock, it is believed, was killed instantly, but Mr. Clarke and Captain Russell were both alive when the first rescuers arrived, and tried to speak. But they died in a few moments, and the services of three doctors who were quickly on the scene —Drs. Brewster, Paget, and "Walker—were not required. The news of the disaster quickly spread, and cast a gloom over the whole of Taranaki. In New Plymouth this tragedy has' no parallel, and last night the town was in mourning. The picture theatres were closed, the boxing was postponed, and all meetings and gatherings were cancelled. The evidence given at the inquest last night showed that the machine flew alright till turning into the wind to land, when the "bank" on the machine increased, and she got into a spin, causing the crash, and coming down about twenty chains from the usual landing place. The machine struck the ground nose on. Captain Russell's efficiency and carefulness were attested to, and two witnesses expressed the opinion that the machine was alright, and one said that similar accidents had happened to many good aeroplanes. The Coroner found that the mishap was due to unforeseen circumstances, and remarked that it was one of those unfortunate events which happened occasionally.