TWO PLANES DAMAGED

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 155, 27 March 1939, Page 11

TWO PLANES DAMAGED

Marlborough Aero Club Mishaps By Telegraph—Press Association. BLENHEIM, March 26. Today was an unfortunate one for the Marlborough Aero Club, two of its machines being damaged in accidents. One, a recently acquired Tiger Moth, is almost a total wreck and the other, a Miles Hawk, was damaged to a minor degree. The Tiger Moth crash occurred at the Blenheim aerodrome this afternoon when Pilot Instructor J. E. Price was giving a display of aerobatics, and the mishap to the Miles Hawk occurred at Nelson in the morning when Mr. L. H. Roberts, of the Southern Cross Construction Company, experienced trouble in landing on rough ground and the undercarriage was slightly damaged. No one was hurt in either accident. The crash at the Blenheim aerodrome was witnessed by the large crowd attending a landing competition for pilot members of the club. Late in the afternoon Mr. Price took the Tiger Moth up to give a display of aerobatics, and the crash occurred when he flew down low over the aerodrome to perform a stall turn. The evolution itself was carried out perfectly, but in coming out of the turn and diving the machine failed to rise in time to prevent one of the wheels touching the ground, with the result that the undercarriage collapsed. The plane slewed wildly from side to side as it careered along the ground, eventually coming to rest with the undercarriage completely broken, the propeller snapped and the wings crumpled. Mr. Price climbed out uninjured.