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TWO MEN DEAD

Crash Of Passenger Plane CAPTAIN MERCER KILLED Injured Making Good Progress (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) NELSON, July 2. Two of the seven occupants of the Air Travel (New Zealand) Ltd., passenger plane which crashed on the bush slopes of Mount Hope, near Kawatiri, during a service flight from Nelson to Westport on Friday afternoon, are dead, and all the others injured. All of the survivors are progressing satisfactorily in hospital, but it has not been possible to learn yet of the events which led to the accident or of their experiences after the lauding and before help arrived. The victims were: —

Captain J. C. Mercer, Hokitika, managing director of Air Travel, Ltd., died of injuries. Maurice Dawe, Hokitika, secretary of Air Travel, Lt’d.; killed. Mrs. E. Russell, West port, both legs broken; condition serious. G. M. Strathmore, general manager of Macduffs, Ltd., Wellington, believed fractured skull; condition satisfactory. ■ Miss A. Patterson, matron of the Buller Public Hospital, Westport, broken leg.

Flight Lieut. P. C. Lewis, the pilot, head, chest, and leg injuries. B. R. Perry, of Macduffs, Ltd., Wellington, shock, fractured rib; condition satisfactory.

The trip to Westport was expected to take 1 hour 20 minutes, and petrol was carried for just over two hours. Flying weather was good on the Nelson side of the mountains, but there were isolated showers on the West Coast side. After 1 hour 50 minutes, when the plane had still not reached Westport, the fact that it was overdue was reported to Central Flying Control. Wellington, by the dutypilot at Nelson. Steps were immediately taken to organize a search, but by that time the weather had deteriorated toward the West Coast, and over Marlborough conditions were so bad that no planes could be sent out. Sending of Aid.

When news of the missing plane was received in Nelson at 11 p.m. from Mr. Arthur Hughes, a transport driver on the Nelson-West Coast run, who telephoned from Gowan Bridge to say that he had picked up one of the passengers, Mr. Perry, near Kawatiri, the police at Murchison were advised and a search party was organized. M hen the search partv reached the wreck they found that Mr. Dawe had been killed, and that. Captain Mercer had died from his injuries an hour and a half before their arrival. Miss Patterson, though suffering herself from a broken leg, had given first aid to the remainder of the party. The search party, accompanied by the ambulance from Murchison, included Dr. Kurzweil. Murchison, and Sister Owen, sister in charge of the Murchison Hospital. Another ambulance was sent out from the Nelson Public Hospital about the same time. Dr. R.D. Lucas, Nelson, and Constables Valentine and Squires accompanied this ambulance. In the meantime Mr. Hughes, the transport driver, and Mr. P. Diserens, Gowan Bridge, had returned to Kawatiri to look for Flight Lieutenant Lewis, who hod collapsed 150 yards from the road after walking from the wreck with Mr. Perry, and they had him ou the roadside when the party from Murchison arrived. He was treated by Dr. Kurzweil and sent by ambulance to the Nelson Public Hospital, arriving there at about 4 a.m. . Position of Wreckage. Dr. Lucas said that from what he could see in the dark and the pouring rain the pilot had made as good a landing as possible on a bush-covered ridge about four or five miles on the Nelson side of Kawatiri. The plane had crashed near a small creek, which Mr, Perry and Flight Lieutenant Lewis had followed down to the main road. The bush was thick and the path very rough, and though Dr. Lucas reached Kawatiri at 1 a.m. it was 3.15 by the time he reached the plane. Rain was falling, and with only electric torches to help them, the rescue party had a very difficult task.. Apart from relieving the pain of the injured, who were suffering from the cold, with morphia, little could be done in the way of first aid. The two injured women and Sir. Strathmore were tied to stretchers, and with six men to each the difficult task of bringing them down the rough mdute tain slope was commenced. It was 7.15 a.m. when the party reached the road. The injured persons were brought on to the Nelson Public Hospital by ambulance, arriving shortly after 10 a.m. Injured Matron’s Work.

Dr. Lucas paid a tribute this morning to Miss Patterson for her work in earing tor the injured. She obtained morphia from the plane's first-aid kit and gave what relief she could to the other passengers. Mrs. .Mercer, Miss M. Mercer, and Mrs. Lewis arrived at Nelson from Hokitika yesterday in an Air Travel plane, and Mrs. Mercer and Miss Mercer returned today. Wing Commander It. C. Kean, Inspector of Accidents, and Wing Commander R- A. Kirkup, Flight Superintendent of Civil Aviation, flew to Nelson yesterday morning from Wellington. Mr. G. H. Chapman, chairman of directors of Air 'Travel, stated today that the Nelson-Hokitika service could not be resumed for two weeks because the company’s other plane that was suitable for that service was undergoing overhaul at Rongolai. The service from Hokitika southward would lie continued ns usual. Mr. Chapman visited the scene of the crash today, and said lhe plane was a complete wreck. An inquest on Captain Mercer and MrDawe was opened and adjourned.. Their bodies will be taken to Hokitika for burial.

PIONEER OF AVIATION

Minister’s Tribute To Captain Mercer

A tribute to Captain J. C. Mercer was paid on Saturday by the Minister in Charge of Civil Aviation, Mr. Jones, who said that his death represented an irreparable loss. Captain Mercer, added tlm Minister, had contributed probably more than any other individual to the successful establishment of commercial aviation in New Zealand. In particular, he had .been the means of opening up wlint was hitherto, a- little-known area in this country—the Best Coast of the South Island. New Zealand acknowledged her .debt to Captain Mercer, said tlie Minister. Tlie foundations he had laid would endure for all time, and on them would be built bv the younger generation of New Zealanders the future air transportation system of the Dominion. The Minister referred to < aptain Mercer's long living career, in which he tlew an aggregate of 11.,000 hours.

CAPTAIN MERCER ALMOST LEGENDARY FIGURE

Dominion Special Service. GREYMOUTII, July 2.

The (leatit of so able and experienced, a pilot as Captain Mercer is a loss to aviation in the Dominion as a whole and a particularly severe blow to tlie West Coast, where he had become an almost legendary figure in tlie past (leetulc. No one else know (he topography and flying peculiarities of this territory as thoroughly as Captain Mercer, who pioneered the service giving access to the south. Aged 58. lie was one of tlie oldest, if not. Hie oldest, regular conimoreial pilots in the Dominion and certainly the doyen of his profession. About five years ago he was entertained at. Hokitika in celebration of his completion of 10,009 flying

hours, and since then his log had mounts considerably.

Before the great war Captain Mercer conducted a bicycle shop in Christchurch and later managed the’garage of the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association there. He was trained at AVigram during the Great War, and later in the war instructed many other pilots there. Air Travel was floated by Captain Mercer 10 years ago with a capital of £3OOO, which was increased to £lO.OOO in July, 1937. The company was formed in May, 1931. its first flight being made on November 15 of that year with 651 b. of mail from Hokitika to Haast. and Okurn, the plane landing on the Haast riverbed. The line now carries about 551 b. of mail weekly and conducts :t service probably unique, carrying at ordinary surface rates both letter and parcel mail to and from the isolated Jackson's Bay community. Captain Mercer’s initial landing in the Haast riverbed was characteristic of his skill. He was largely responsible lor plotting the 14 aerodromes now existing from Karamea southward, and many stories are told of his ability to laud a plane in restricted back areas witli deerstalkers or bring out injured or sick persons to the Westland Hospital. On May 22. when the company celebrated its tenth anniversary bv opening new offices in Hokitika, Captain Mercer agaip displayed far-sightedness by declaring that the'post-war years should bring an hourly service between tlie West and I'jast Coasts and through services from South Westland to Wellington with tourists. Captain Mercer is survived by his wife and two daughters. One daughter Miss May Mercer, is employed by Air Travel, mid the other daughter is Mrs. Douglas, Christchurch. A brother. Bruce, lives in Christchurch. It is likely that the funeral will be at Hokitika. , , ... Mr. Maurice Dawe, secretary of Ay Travel, went from Christchurch, to Hokitika about seven years ago joining the accountancy firm of R. M ihl and < <>mpanv. which he took over utter Mr. \\ lid s death, lb' was aged 3(1. and married, bin Ii:h1 no fuinily. 110 nml Captain Meierr went to Wellington <»n the eonipany s business on W e-lnesday and woie ictUlß* ing' when they met their deaths

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19440703.2.28

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 236, 3 July 1944, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,534

TWO MEN DEAD Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 236, 3 July 1944, Page 4

TWO MEN DEAD Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 236, 3 July 1944, Page 4

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