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Young Mechanic Killed When Plane Crashes At Ardrossan
CAPT. LEARMONTH, PILOT, BADLY
INJURED
Wife Was Waiting At Parafield To Motor
Him Home
FLIES TO HOSPITAL FROM ADELAIDE
HAROLD FREDERICK KENDALL, 24, of Goodwood road,
Goodwood, was killed yesterday when a plane, piloted by Capt.
Basil Learmonth, of the Adelaide Commercial Aviation Co.,
crashed on the Ardrossan landing ground from 800 feet.
LEARMONTH, a former war pilot,
had a thigh broken and sustained
head injuries and severe shock. He
was conscious when dragged from the
wrecked machine. He was rushed
to the Ardrossan Hospital.
THE plane, for which Kendall was
acting as mechanic, was just about to
return to Adelaide after a successful
day's flying at the annual sports at
Ardrossan.
Mrs. LEARMONTH arrived at
Parafield shortly before 6 p.m., to
motor her husband home, when the
news of the accident came through.
With Pilot H. B. Hussey, she flew
to Ardrossan to her husband's bedside,
arriving just before dark.
WlTH Mr. Kendall, Captain Learmonth
left Parafield yesterday morning, and
was to have returned in the afternoon. At
the carnival, he had been taking passengers
for short flights all the afternoon. When
he finally took off for Adelaide he apparently
decided to do some farewell stunts.
He climbed to about 800 feet, did a full
roll, and appeared to stall, and get Into a
spin. He crashed to the ground nose first,
before, he could correct the spin.
Hundreds of spectators ran to the spot,
which was in a paddock, about a mile from
the township, which had been used during
the afternoon as a landing ground.
The engine had parted from the fuselage
and had dug into the earth. Both wings
were hopelessly smashed, and the fuselage
was telescoped.
Kendall, who was in the front cockpit,
was jammed in the wreckage with his head
crushed.
PILOT REMEMBERS NOTHING
At the hospital, Captain Learmonth said he
could not remember anything of the
accident.
Mr. J. Jukes, of Ardrossan, a member of
the S.A. branch of the Aero Club, was
one of the first to reach the wrecked
machine. A few minutes before, he had
been flying it himself. He had landed,
and said good-bye to Learmonth and
Kendall. A few seconds later, he saw the
plane crash.
Kendall was employed at L. G. Abbott and
Co.. Ltd.. glass and paint merchants.
Adelaide. He had been studying aero-dynamics
at the School of Mines, and was keenly in
terested in flying. He was also casually
employed at Parafield by the Commercial
Aviation Co.
Had it not been for a last-minute change
of plans, another man would have
accompanied Capt. Learmonth. Kendall was
offered the chance and eagerly took it.
'LUCKY HE'S ALIVE'.
'It's terribly bad luck,' said Mrs. Learmonth
last night. 'My husband flew in the
war for four years without a single crash,
and he was just coming home when the
accident happened. All the same, it's lucky
that he's alive.
Capt. Learmonth, who is 30, is a Victorian.
His parents live at Hamilton (Vic). Until
about a fortnight ago when he came to Adelaide
to take charge during Capt. Miller's
absence in the air race, he had been stationed
at Mount Gambier for the Commercial
Aviation Company and the Mount Gambler
Aero Club.
GLOOM AT PARAFIELD
Gloom descended on the aerodrome at
Parafield when news of the accident was
received. Nobody could account for the crash,
the plane, a Gipsy Moth, having functioned
perfectly a day or two ago, when it was
tested with almost every kind of stunt.
Capt. Miller, of the Commercial Aviation
Company, who returned from the air race in
triumph a few hours before, was greatly
distressed.
none Help
MR. KENDALL
MR. KENDALL
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