PLANE DIVES INTO NELSON HARBOUR

Chronicle (Levin), 3 November 1947, Page 4

PLANE DIVES INTO NELSON HARBOUR

NELSON, Nov. 2. a .The pilot and the passenger lost their lives at 12.45 o'clock this afternoon when a Tiger Moth plane fell in a spm from a considerable height and erashed into Nelson harbour. The pilot was Jack Ellis, aged about 21, of Parker's Road,. Tahunanui, and the passenger was Herbert Frank Crozier, a married man, aged 31, a resident of Nelson. Mr. Crozier 's body was' recovered in the machine but the search for Mr, Ellis continued until dark. Mr. Ellis, who learned to fly with the Nelson Aero Club about 18 months ago, was one of the most experiencel chib pilots. He took off from Nelson aerodrome in the Moth ZK — AKG on a local fiight with Mr. Crozier as passenger. Observers state that the plane had been doing aerobaties. One eyewitness said he saw the machine stunting at an estimated height of 1000 feet but took little notice until the engine cut off. He saw the plane develop a tight spin in which it gained momentum till it erashed into the harbour about a quarter of a mile north of the wharf submerging soon after hitting the water. A Harbour Board launch recovered the plane in which Mr. Crozier ;s body was still strapped in the front coekpit. The pilot 's seat straps were loose, indicating that he had been able to make some effort to escape.