Stormy Passage In Plane To See Auckland Cup

Chronicle (Levin), 31 December 1949, Page 4

Stormy Passage In Plane To See Auckland Cup

To leave Levin at 7.30 a.m., witness the. Auckland Cup and fly back through what civil aviation authorities described as impassablo conditions was the experience of fbur local sportsmen last Monday. Leaving Levin by car, they journeyed to Milson, where they had hired a four-seater Percival Proctor V aircraft. . The ahcraft,- piloted by Mr. L. P. (Don) Griffith, left Milson at 8.45 a.m. and eliihbed to 7000 feet, by- which time Marton was .seen below. A direct course was then set for Auckland. At Te Kuiti the aircraft flew into thick cloud, going up to 15,000 feet, and it was decided to come dOWii through the cloud and makp for the ooast. Gloud was broken just above the sea at Kawhia and from there to Mangere Airport the aircraft was flOWn through pouring rain at approximately 100 feet. • Strong head winds added an hour's extra flying time for the aircraft, which arrived with enough fuel for another quarter of an hour's flying. The party then saw the Auckland CUp riin and left Mangere at 5 p.m,, after being giVen a favOUrable weather forecast for the intended route home. Good flying conditions were experienced to as far as Te Kuiti. At Te Kttiti extremely had weather .was encountered and Mr. Grifflth was forcSd to climb above the cumulo nimbus storm clouds. However, at 12,300 feet, with . the throttle wide open and f ull reVS., the aircraft failed to climb any higher so the pilot had no altern-

ative but to fly entirely on the blind flying instruments. After a lengthy period of cloud flying the aircraft rapidly began icing up, and the pilot had to descend and fly at a lower altitude. It was while descending through the storm that the aircraft received a violent buffetiflg. At times the only contact the pilot had with the aircraft, was his hand on the controi coiumn and his head on the canopy. The passengers were also tossed about, their heads hitting the canopy simultaneously. By this time the aircraft had left

the high country around Mt, Ruapehu and it was decided to descend to 4.000 feet and a course was set for the coast at Wanganui. After a further period of blind flying at 4,000 feet the pilot then decided to descend still further and eventuaily broke cloud over the Wanganui River, a few miles inland from the sea. This had been a particularly strenuous period for the pilot as the ground had not been seen Mnee leaving Te Kuiti. The rest of the journey was continued at 100 feet, most of the way being in pouring rain. The aircraft arrived at Milson after two and a_ half hours' flyinff; by whieh time anxiety Was being felt by Ihe authorities for its safety. In an interview later. Mr. Grifflth, who has had considerable flying exnerience, said that the weather conditions were as bad as he had ever eneountered, made more dangerous because the aircraft did not carry radio or parachutes.