The airship R 101 crashed at Beauvais, Northern France, early yesterday morning, with the loss of forty-six lives, including:
Lord Thomson, Sir W. Sefton Brancker, Wing-Commander Colmore, Lieutenant-Colonel V. C. Richmond, the designer of the airship; Major G. H. Scott, Flight-Lieutenant H. C. Irwin, captain of the airship, and other distinguished officers
The eight survivors were uninjured.
The airship, which was on its way to India, left Cardington on Saturday night, and had reached a point more than half-way between the northern coast of France and Paris, when it ran into a storm, and was driven down about a thousand feet. On crashing, it burst into flames, and the crew and passengers, many of whom were asleep were trapped.
At the time of the accident the airship was travelling at about 55 miles an hour. According to the survivors, a severe storm, with squalls and violent whirlwind eddies, broke over the airship, and drove it down. The nose dipped twice and struck a hill violently.
The Air Council propose to hold a public inquiry into the loss of the airship, subject to co-ordination with the arrangements which are being made by the French Government.
The Irish Times, October 6th, 1930.