AIR TRAGEDY.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 April 1922, Page 5

AIR TRAGEDY.

TWO LINERS COLLIDE. SEVERAL FATALITIES. A CRASH AND FLAMES. By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. Received April 9, 5.5 pin. Paris, April 8. A shocking aeroplane disaster occurred at Tilloy. A British aeroplane of the Daimler line, bound from London to Paris with mails, collided near Tilloy with a Goliath machine, which left Le Bourget with three passengers for London. Both machines caught fire after crashing. Five passengers and the mechanics were killed, and one person seriously injured. At the time of the collision visibility was fairly good, but low clouds and light rain prevailed. The aeroplanes were four hundred feet above the earth, flying low in order to steer by the broad white band of the main road. Their speed was about 105 miles an hour. The Daimler was carrying mails and newspapers, with Pilot Duke and a mechanic- The Goliath was in the charge of Pilot Mier. Spectators heard the roar of the engines, then a deafening crash, after which a mass of smoke and flames seemed to divide into two as the machines fell. When the spectators reached the spot five bodies were in the twisted debris. Duke’s mechanic was still alive, but ho died in hospital. The passengers included Bruce Yule and wife, Americans. This is the first collision on the London —Paris route; also the first fatal crash on this route since December, 1920, since when 18,000 passengers have been carried without accident.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. A MILLION TO ONIE CHANCE. AGAINST SIMILAR FATALITY. Received April 9, 11.50 p.m. London, April 9. It is pointed out that the chances ar* a million to one against two aeroplanes on the London-Paris route meeting in exactly the same line at exactly the same altitude. Such an accident has never happened before, and probably will never happen again in this genera-tion.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.