MISHAP TO AEROPLANE

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 49, 21 November 1921, Page 6

MISHAP TO AEROPLANE

FORCED LANDING NEAR ISLAND BAY PLUCKY BATTLE WITH A GALE 1 Flying men have many problems to contend with, and one of the most difficult of these is presented by the sudden gales and erratic gusts of wind which occur on hilly coast lines. It is often quite fine on the Nelson side of Cook Strait, when the weather here is thick and blustery. Indeed, more often than not, the fierce gales that are experienced in Wellington are purely local, .and do not extend over any great area to the north-west. Two of the New Zealand Aero Transport's Avro aeroplanes, which started for Wellington from Blenheim at 6 o'clock on Saturday morning, had to put back owing to thick weather on this side. They were not able to pick up the North leland in consequence of a heavy mist. Gne of these machines, however, came over during the afternoon, landing at Lyall Bay soon after 5 o’clock after a good passage across the strait. The time occupied was 5b minutes and the crossing from land to land took 13 minutes. The other Avro left Blenheim for Wellington at 6 o’clock yesterday morning, and, through engine trouble, had to make a forced landing on the beach near Red Rocks, on Mr. A. Robertson’s Happy Valley Station, between Island Bay and Terawhiti. When the engine trouble developed, the fierce gale which was raging took charge of the machine, but the pilot, Mr. W. E. Park, stuck manfully to his perilous task, and by almost superhuman efforts succeeded in effecting a safe landing on the shingly beach. The strong wind came off tho cliffs at all sorts of angles, and the pilot is not likely to forget his experience for some time.

It was the worst possible luck for him, after landing his machine safely on the beach, that a fierce gust of wind caught the wings and lifted it back into the water. The high sea which was running nt the time caused damage to the bottom plane. * On receipt of news of the mishap, Mr. Mercer,_wfio came in the Avro which arrived on Saturday evening, accompanied by Captain T. M. Wilkes, secretary of the Air Board, went out tn Terawhiti by motor-car yesterday morning, and assisted Mr. Park to dismantle the machine, so that it might ’e brought into the city for repairs. This was no easy task, owing to the high gale which was raging, but with the assistance of a party of week-end beach campers, who lent willing aid to the airmen, it was successfully accomplished. Mr. Mercer informed a Dominion reporter last evening that they expected to have the machine flying again within a fortnight’s time. H:- spoke very highly of Mr. Park’s great feat- in sticking to his machine in such a gale, and effecting such a successful landing. Tho' Canterbury Company’s D.H. 9. which has been at Blenheim for the last day or two, awaiting a ehnheo io come across, returned io Nelson with two passengers on Saturday morning, arriving there about 10 50.