AVIATION TRAGEDIES

Wairarapa Age, 14 March 1927, Page 5

AVIATION TRAGEDIES

R.A.F. PARACHUTISTS KILLED. RESULT OF “RISKING IT.” - : .’iLECTROCUTJQN on live WIRES. (Received 'Sunday, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 12. Tragedy has overtaken within a weak two of the Royal Air Force’s foremost parachutists, following closely on. the heels of Mr. Baldwin’s statem'ent in the House of Commons on the red roll of Air Force deaths. Corporal East, was a severe loss as he was regarded as a most capable parachutist. It is estimated that he fell through the air at a rate of 240 miles an hour. Then came the announcement of Dobbs’s electrocution, while engaged in balloon jumping, the result of a private attempt. to introduce a sport prominent in America. Dobbs concluded a private test, but anxious to experiment still further, he dispensed with the safety rope,* and proceeded to carry out an experiment across country. He jumped a hedge and then over a tree, which was standing in. the way. On the other side of it was another field, across the centre of which ran electric wires.

Captain Blacker, who was the only witness, saw the danger and shouted to Dobbs: “For God’s sake, take care, they are live wires.” Dobbs replied: “I’ll risk it,” and proceeded to jump. He almost cleared the wires, but his legs became entangled. He struggled momentarily, and threw out his hands in an endeavour to disentangle his legs. His hand touched another wire, causing sparks and smoke. Captain Blacker rushed to the aerodrome and summoned the aid of the police, who turned off the current. When the body was extricated it was badly burned. Death must have been instantaneous. A few minutes before his death, Dobbs, who was known as the Parachute King of the R.A.F., having made 239 spectacular descents, said, “A parachute descent is wrongly regarded as a frightful risk. It is actually safer to descend by parachute than to ascend by aeroplane. People who crash have only theifiselves to blame. It is largely a matter of temperament. Even when falling at the rate of two hundred miles an hour I have never lost consciousness. I think baliooj-jumping is a wonderful sport and hope to be able soon to go on a series of cross-country jumps, the same as they do in America.” Earlier, Miss Odell carried out an experiment, and succeeded in rising to a height of twenty feet. The concensus of opinion appears to be that the sport is lacking in thrill. Whatever prospects it had of success are sure to be affected by the result of the tragic opening. Dobbs had descended from an aeroplane from as high as fifteen thousand feet.—(A. and N.Z.)