Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-17
KILLED AS PLANE
FALLS IN CHANNEL
Two Victims in Crash OFF
England Are Believed
Americans.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, June 17.-Seven person!
were killed, two of them believed to b,
Americans, in the crash of an Imperia
Airways air liner today off Dungeness
England. Three of the victims wer,
women; two bodies were recovered.
Among the known dead was Mrs
Ickerson, a relative of Mr.. and Mrs
Fleming, two of the survivors.
The body of man also was recov-
cred and taken to Dungeness, where
his identification had not been de.
termined late today. There was a pos
sibility that it was the body of a Mr.
Maester, thought to be an American
business man.
Those missing and believed dead were
Mr. Malcolm, MIR. Smith of 80 Craven
Hill, Lancaster. Ontario: Nine. Bos-
siger, Miss Roberts and Mrs. Karaki.
Six Are Rescued.
The following rescued were suffering
from shock: Mr.. and Mrs. Fleming
Miss M. Smith, Homer w. latham
Pilot Brailli and Mechanic Barnett
flight engineer.
Mr.. latham also was believed to be
an American, but his address could not
be learned, as he left the hospital after
treatment.
The plane the City of ottawa left
Croydon at 1890 o'clock this morning
and was well over the English Channel
when trouble developed.
Pilot Turns Back.
The pilot turned back and attempted
to reach shore, but was forced to come
down beside a trawler which rushed to
his aid. The plane landed with a
crash, however, and turned over, being
partly submerged.
An eye witness of thecrash said:
1T was about Is minutes after II
when 3 miles out to sea that the plane
began to come down in fast glide. She
struck the water with terrific splash
and then almost directly was seen tc
turn over; a trawler was only 100 yards
away and Immediately went to the
planes help. Parts of the plane had to
be chopped away to get the passengers
out"
Always Statement.
The Imperial Airways' statement said
THE directors of the Imperial Air
ways announce with regret that the
airliner which left Croydon at 1890
am today on the London Zurich Basle
Is miles across the Channel.
THE pilot turned back and when :
miles from shore came down in the
channel. The pilot reported by wire
less than he was landing alongside a
trawler which he did.
Further Marine assistance was dis
patched under standing emergency ar
rangements Immediately upon receipt
OF the pilots distress signals.
"The directors deeply regret that
seven passengers lives were lost, four
passengers and the pilot and mechanic
were injured, but 1t is hoped not
seriously.
The air ministry inspector of acci-
dents will make the prescribed in
vestigation and until he has done sl
the company is unable to state precisely
the cause either of the accident or the
consequent loss of life. The liner ha:
been salvaged and thorough investi-
cation can therefore be made"
Few Channel Accidents.
The number of accidents on the
tranSchannel airplane service has beer
comparatively small, the various com.
panies operating such service taking
pride in the few accidents.
The last serious accident was ir
March. 1923, when the pilot anc
mechanic of French plane were forced
down by heavy snow squall and lost
their lives. In August, 1926, French
passenger plane met disaster neal
Folkestone and two passengers were
killed including one American, Rober
Blaney of Mount Vernon street, Boston
In the previous year seven person:
including five passengers were burned
! to death when a French passenger
plane crashed near Penshurst, Kent.