AIRMAN KILLED

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19894, 25 May 1936, Page 5

AIRMAN KILLED

MR O’HARA CRASHES. BODY ALMOST INCINERATED. MACHINE BURSTS INTO FLAMES. United Press Assn—Elem Tel. Copyright. SYDNEY, May 24. News was resolved at Sydney thls afternoon or the tmglo death of the well-known airman, Mr W. M. O'Hara, Tasman filer, who crashed shortly after taking OR at Eumungerle, 315 mlles west. of Sydney. The aeroplane caught fire and Mr O'Hara was almost. lnolneratad. Since the flier left Sydney on the first stage of a leisurely [light to Jzn‘a. he haul been staying an a sheep station. the property of Mi‘ Justice Boyce“. Mil. .\ti‘ It. E, Boyce, -'io miles from lluliiio. lli: Klemm aeroplane was parked u mile away in a paddock .\ll‘ U‘llam motorctl lo the paddock this morning with a party of friendS, including the wife of Mr Justice Boyce.

The airman took off for Dubbo where ho intended to pick up a hat and to continue to Cootamundra, where he had proposed to have luncheon with a fellow airman, Mr Butler. The machine rose to a height of 200 ft. and circled. Mr O'Hara waved a farewell and then banked sharply. The machine immediately nose-dived to the earth and burst into flames. A Human Torch. The airman was thrown four feet from the aeroplane, but not out of reach of the flames, and lie was soon a human torch. His friends could not approach him owing to the heat, but finally they dragged him away with a branch of a tree. An examination of the body revealed that many of Mr O’Hara’s hones were broken, and that he had suffered injuries 10 the head which, themselves, It is thought, proved fatal. The body will be brought to Sydney to await the relatives’ instructions in regard to the burial. CAUBE OF THE ACCIDENT. STALLING OF THE ENGINE. MACHINE COMPLETELY DESTROYED United Tress xusn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. (Received May 25, 1.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, May 25. The stalling of the engine is believed to be the cause of the plane taking a nose-dive. The machine was completely destroyed, even the aluminium parts of the engine being reduced to small heaps of powder, resembling powdered chalk. A number of lantern views of New Zealand scenes were found about fifteen feet from the Wreckage. The Air Investigation Committee has sent a special representative to the scene. DISTINGUISHED FLYING CAREER. FLIGHT ACROSS THE TASMAN. Born at Thames In 1890, the late Mr O’Hara was the eldest son of Mrs M. O'Hara and the late Mr Patrick O’Hara, of Thames Valley, who arrived from Ireland in the late nineties. After attending schools at Kopu and in the Thames Valley, he studied at Sydney University, lie saw service during the Great War with the machine gun corps, New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Mr O’Hara had resided at Dampit, Java, since the war, managing his rubber and coffee plantations. He took up flying many years ago, and on October 19, 1935, he was the first New Zealander to fly solo across the Tasinan. His machine was a British Klein m Eagle, and while In New Zealand he undertook a “barnstorming" tour of the Dominion to raise funds for I tlie Returned Soldiers’ Association. | When the Auckland Aero Club deI cided to hold a pageant in Hamilton Ito raise funds for the McGregor i Bcnellt, Mr O’Hara gave his assurance I of help and he flew to the pageant, j He was well known in Hamilton, 'having stayed in the town with friends for several weeks. j ACCIDENTS AT MANOEUVRES. FLYING OFFICERS INCINERATED. TWO PILOTS INJURED. United l-resa Assn.—Kie.v Tel. Unpyrttriu. I. ON DON. May ‘23. The Royal Air Force gave an Empire Day display to-day. Forty-live aerodromes and many flying schools were open to public inspection, and there were numerous bombing, aerobatic and parachute exhibitions. The day was marred by three acci-

11V'HI5. \ HEIIH‘I'. “11th \\‘l3 |L|l~liA'ip:|r—im: in :1 lunvlhin: .Hlavk :M Imwr. .\ln‘m‘k .m olw-h-ir mhll- uml Ilewa ‘nl‘. 11.nnvs. ‘J‘\\n thin; milk-Hrs “'4’" m cinm‘ulml. \lml HII- rlvn'll‘iv‘ rlll'x'un! In lhn'vl' \\.u~ «'11! off, .\I lirnh')‘. .\ln‘nprhil'v, II!” Min] of mmfhnr flzhh‘r “:15 mil :Ihln In Drill: his lmrhinn ml! of .1 slim and it vmshml. The pilot “as snvorely in» juer. .\ rivilinn pilot crashed and \\'as taken to manual at Shoreham. Kent.