New Britain herald., 1922-04-13
Sir Ross Smith and Me- chanic Fall 5000 Feet To Death While esting Out Plane
Sir Keith Smith, Brother, Who Was to Accompany Them on April 25, Wit nesses Tragedy in Eng land.

London, April 1s (By Associated Press)-Sir Ross Smith, the Aus- tralian aviator who, with bis brother Sir Keith had planned to start from Croydon on April 25 for an attempt cd flight around the world, was killed when his plane crashed in a practice flight at Brooklands today.
 Lieut.. Bennett an engineer who was planning to accompany Sir Ross and his brother on their around the world flight, also was killed.
 Spins Down to Death
 The machine which crashed was
 the one the Smiths intended to use in their flight. Captain Conkerill of the Vickers Co. had previously flown 1t for half hour, then handing it over to Captain Smith.
 As the machine was approaching the airdrome to land, it got into a spin and the fatal crash followed.
 Sees Brother Killed.
 The accident occurred Is minutes after Captain Smith and Lieut.. Ben nett began their flight. Sir Keith Smith had intended to make the trial with them but he arrived at tllc air drome too late and was among tho crowd that witnessed the tragedy
 The machine had climbed graceful ly to height of more than 5000 feet when suddenly her nose dipped and shc went into a spin. The spectators though at first that the airmer were attempting stunt for the purpose of testing the wings of the machine but it soon became apparent that the plane was out of control.
 Machlns, Splintered
 It started downward in a slow spin which became faster and faster until the machine hit the earth with such a terrific inpac. that the plane was practically splintered.
 Sir Ross was killed instantly and Lieut. Bennett died a few minutes after the crash.
 Made Record Flight.
 Captain Sir Ross Smith sprsng into prominence in 1919, when accom- panied by his brother. Sir Keith, he made the flight from England to Aus tralia, 11,5oo miles. winning a prize of 10000 pounds from the Australian government as the first aviator to ac- cofnplish the England Australia flight. Both aviators were knighted for their feat.
 Was Hero of War.
 Captain Smith who was killed in to- days crash at Brooklands. saw dis tinguished service in the European war, first with the Australian light horse in Egypt and Gallipoli and later as an aviator with the Australian fly ing corps in Egypt and Palestine. He was one of the British army aviators who in December 1918 made the first flight from Cairo to Calcutta.
 World Trip Planned.
 Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith had just completed plans for their at tempted flight around the world which they expected to start from Croydon, near London, April 25. The route mapped out was by way of France, Egypt, Asia Minor, India, China, Ja pan and Siberia. thence jumping to North America at Bering Straits with landings on some of the Aleutian 1s- lands and at Ounaaska, in Alaska, thence across Canada to the Soo, swining there to the southeast to New York and continuing along the New England coast to Newfoundland for | the jump across the Atlantic to Ire land.
 Mapped 21,5OO Mile Route.
 The aviators expected to cover the 21,5oo miles in 240 hours of actual flying spread over a period of three ! months. Their machine was of the hydro -airpane type fitted with wheels for alighting on land and propelled by an. engine of 450 horsepower.