Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), Thursday 17 June 1954, page 1


3 KILLED IN CANBERRA JET CRASH

BRISBANE; June 16.

Three men Mere killed today when an Australian - built Canberra jet bomber ' sweat

wing-nrst mm a runway at the RAAF station at Amberley. The men were on a special training exercise. The plane— the first Australian-built Canberra to crash— was using equipment still on the secret list. . Those killed were:— Flt-Lt. Francis Noel Davis, DFC.32, of East Ipswich, Queensland; Flt-Lt. David Charles Nicholls, 29, of Gordon, NSW; P-O F. B. Adler, of Melbourne. Flt-Lt. Davis, who was married, with three children, was co-pilot with SqLdn Peter Raw. in the Australian Canberra jet which was second in the London

unristcnurch speed race. Flt-Lt. Nicholls was also married, with two children. The plane disintegrated when it hit the ground and burst into flamed One man was thrown from the plane ? as It crashed and the two others were still strapped in their seats. The plane had taken off a few minutes before, made one 'dummy run' along the 5:0Q0-ft. strip, completed a circuit of the aerodrome, and was approaching the centre of the field at about 100 feet. . Eyewitnesses said the Canberra suddenly heeled over and plunged into the runway as if its engines had cut' and a sudden wind gust caught it. MELBOURNE, June 16. — Wg-Cmdr. C. 'Browne, Director of Flying Safety, RAAF, left Melbourne by air for Brisbane tonight to investigate the Amberley crash.