CRASH INTO SEA

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 85, 12 April 1937, Page 10

CRASH INTO SEA

AEROPLANE IN SPIN

SPECTACULAR RESCUE

A SPEEDY SURF TEAM

(By Telegraph.) (Special to the "Evening Post.") GREYMOUTH, This Day. The West Coast United Aero Club's D.H. Moth aeroplane ZKADZ was involved in a crash into the Tasman Sea on the northern fringe of the Karori airport at Greymouth yesterday afternoon. The machine was extensively damaged and the pilot,-. Mr. . Ivan Quinney, of Greymouth, sustained^ a nasty cut on the forehead but had a, remarkable escape from more serious injury. He was admitted to the Grey Hospital after a thrilling rescue from the surf by a member of the Greymouth Surf Life-Saving Club. ■

Mr. Quinney, who is an experienced pilot and a former member of the Canterbury Club, . where he took up flying in .1930, is the holder of an A endorsed passenger licence. He took off from the Karori- airport shortly before 2 p.m. on a local-flight and was in the act,of practising vertical turns at a height of approximately 1000 ft. It appeared that he got back into his own slipstream, causing the aeroplane to go into a fiat spin and lose height very rapidly. He got out of.the spin but went into another one. He. was straightening out a second time with a' burst of speed to pull himself out of it but he had insufficient height to recover and'crashed into the sea at a fast glide -200 yards: from the shore. . THE PILOT APPEARS. It .was a. spectacular.. crash, water, splashing over a wide area and to a great height, as the machine completely disappeared from view. Eyewitnesses immediately"', feared the worst, but within a few seconds;.the tail of the aeroplane emerged from/ the water and the pilot could be . seen' standing upon the machine.. -An, onlooker made valiant attempts to swim out to his rescue but the heavy breakers were too severe.

Within five minutes several members of the' Greymouth Surf Life-Saving club we're on the scene with reel and line, and the regular beltman, Mr. Ernest Price, swam out and rescued the pilot after a gruelling tussle with the waves. That .was within a quarter of an hour of the crash., . , ; RECOVERY OF THE MACHINE. As the pilot was,taken off the aeroplane appeared to fight itself from its vertical position in the sea and it gradually floated shorewards, despite a receding tide. When about 50 yards, from the shore willing helpers attached a-rope to. the machine and it was hauled up on the beach, a mangled mess of wreckage through its severe impact with the sea and the battering it received from' the. waves. It was immediately dismantled and removed to the Greymouth Aero Club's hangar. It/.is,. however, regarded 'as. almost- a total loss,, arid the crash will leave^e. West Coast Aero Club without a train-, ing machine for over. a week. It is hoped that :by that time the club's other Moth training machine will be in operation again. It is at present under survey' for a certificate of airworthiness. "■"';■ '.'■;"

:'■ The machine involved in the crash had only last week again been placed in commission following repairs of damage occasioned to it in a landing by Mrs. J. S. - Langford at Hokitika some.time ago. The fuselage was in- 1 tact when the machine was recovered from the' sea,! but the engine- had been forced back some inches into the cock-, pit, the propeller blade shattered,'andall the superstructure and canvas badly crumpled. It is a Government loan machine taken over by the club about three years ago.: . PRAISE FOR THE LIFE-SAVERS. The salvaging operations were carried out under the direction of FlightLieutenant W. F. Parke, pilot instructor to the West Coast Club.' ■

The pilot, Mr. Quinney, who' is a single man, a' waterside worker .at Greymouth, aged 36, had a most remarkable escape, first from serious injury, and secondly from drowning, as he was strapped into the machine and in addition is unable, to swim. After receiving medical attention from Dr. W. A. Bird, Mr. Quinney was admitted to hospital. His condition this evening was reported to be most satisfactory. He is suffering from a scalp wound on the forehead and from shock. ' .

A large,crowd gathered on the beach and it was remarkable to see the number of souvenir hunters at Greymouth's first air crash. The Surf Club came in for much praise for its prompt response and efficient work. The efforts of the beltman in overcoming the huge breakers and effecting the rescue against great odds in cold water-were particularly, lauded, and'action on the paft of Mr. A. J. McDowell in taking round the hat resulted in a substantial subscription being made towards the funds of the club.