TE AROHA AVIATION FATALITY

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 93, 14 January 1935, Page 10

TE AROHA AVIATION FATALITY

Stunt Flying Condemned CORONER’S COMMENTS AT INQUEST Dominion Special Service. Auckland, January 12. "There appears to be no doubt as to the cause of death of the deceased, although the circumstances leading up to it appear to be very regrettable.” said the coroner, Mr. N. Ray, at Te Arolia yesterday, when the inquest into the death of Clarence Clifford Waite, aged 29, of Te Aroha, was concluded. Deceased was killed at Waihou. near Te Aroha, on November 28 last, when the Gipsy Moth biplane in which he was engaging- in a mock aerial combat, with Mr. J. S. Blackmore, flying a Desoutter monoplane, crashed. The coroner, in his finding, stated that, although mock cox bats, ?i> “dog fights,” might be very interesting, he did not think they should be allowed, by private clubs. “Military tactics should be left to the Air Force and carried out under the control of some responsible officer,” he said. “There is no object to be gained by stunting. It is only pandering to the public taste. The Air Force authorities,- I know, have made full inquiries, and there is no question of anything being wrong with the machines or of the legality of the ’contest.” Evidence was given by Robert Coulter, Mayor of Te Aroha and president of the Te Aroha Aero Club, that he had seen the mock combat on the afternoon of the tragedy. The two machines appeared close together and he then saw several pieces falling away from them. One machine appeared to continue on its course and the other went down in a spiral dive. He proceeded by motor-car with Mr. R. G. Tappenden to the field where the machine had fallen. They pulled away the wreckage and found deceased dead in the cockpit. Revision of Programme. Witness stated he had met deceased earlier in the day and discussed with him the advisability of carrying on with the programme, as only two of five aeroplanes expected had arrived. The programme was revised and witness suggested that a “dog fight” should be omitted. Deceased replied that the public would expect the “dog fight” and they must keep faith. Replying to Mr. King, who appeared for Blackmore, witness said deceased had not discussed with him the suitability of Blackmore's machine for the purpose. The secretary of the dub. Clive Kingsley Smith, said he walked with deceased to Blackmore’s monoplane shortly before the machine went into the air and heard deceased ask if Blackmore was “game to give it a go.” After deliberation, Blackmore agreed, saying. "Don't forget that I am blind on both sides, and for heaven's sake watch my tail.” Deceased then said. “You go to the right and I’ll go to the left every time, then there cannot be any trouble.” After the mock combat had teen proceeding be noticed deceased’s machine do a steep stall turn and swing back, and it, was apparently while returning that the accident occurred. Evidence of Blackmore. .Stanley James Blackmore, of Hamilton, said that on arrival at Te Aroha deceased told him tlie dub had been let down in the number of machines arriving, and asked whether be would take (be place on the programme of the other Moth. He said he would do anything he could to help and proposed that they should try to get two machines from Thames and Whakatane. It was thought to be too late, however, and witness'then agreed to the suggestion. With Mr. Tappenden, witness later held a conversation with deceased saying that there could not be a "dog fight” in the true sense of the term, as the Desoutter had not the vision necessary for it. but so that the smoke bombs which had been, obtained for the occasion could be let off, he would chase the other machine, which was to appear to be running away. He would come close to the tail of the Moth, near a certain elump of trees, and deceased would then let off the smoke bombs and appear to fall. Witness gave a detailed account of the evolutions agreed on. It was decided that both machines should keep to the right in the usual niarner. He impressed oil deceased that tlie Desoutter was blind above and behind. Not in Line of Vision. Witness said Hie machines first flew across tlie aerodrome from opposite sides. When he banked round to chase the Moth as had been arranged, it was liot in the line of vision, lie continued straight on and just then a machine swung past his tail, in his opinion, far too close. He turned in behind the machine, thinking to proceed to the spot where the smoke bombs were to be dropped, but when he levelled up tlie -IJoth was again out of the line of vision, lie throttled down his engine and proceeded slowly to a group of trees, ex pecting deceased to overtake idm and go ahead. Suddenly he saw a machine diving directly at his cabin window from a higher altitude, anil slightly to the rear. Realising a collision was ‘mniineiit, he put on full speed, dived to the full limits of his machine's ability and banked to the left in an endeavour to deflect the tail from tlie paiii of tlie other machine, which did not seem to deviate from its equrse. He considered there would have been time for it to do so as a slight alteration of the controls would have resulted in it missing his machine. He felt a terrific crash and his monoplane went out of control. Resuming partial control with considerable difficulty, lie hr night the machine down. It overturned on reaching the ground and he was Injured. He considered tlie accident occurred through deceased diving and striking the tail of his machine. Suitability for Manoeuvres Questioned by Mr. Nicholls, who appeared for the Te Aroha Aero Clute 1 witness .said he had previously taken part in “dog lights” in the Desoutter, but he had not received instruction in this direction. Further questioned witness said he considered ins machine not unsuitable for carrying out Hie manoeuvres arranged with deceased. He was sure deceased had not asked him whether lie was "game to give it a go.” just before starting, as the matter had been arranged at least an hour previously. In replying to a number of questions by. the coroner regarding his conversation with deceased and the manoeuvres carried out in the ait. witness said Air Force authorities who bad inspected Hie machines had given him to understand that he was not to blame in any

shape or form. Instead of being the defending craft tfio Moth had become the attacking craft. The coroner found that deatli was caused b.v a fractured skull and other injuries received when the aeroplane deceased was piloting in an air pageant crashed, the crash being caused by an accidental collision in the course of a mock battle.