AIR SMASH

Hokitika Guardian, 26 October 1932, Page 6

AIR SMASH

. CORRECTED PARTICULARS. (Per Press Association — Copyright. WELLINGTON, October 26. The correct, particulars of -the dead airmen are-—G. 11. W. King, married, -employed by. .Charles '-Begg -.tond %o v , ajii«nthui?iastic member of - Wellington Aero Club but.,not *a,pilot. - ' F. Grosser, no relatives in Ntw. Zealand, -vvitli- n. father and 'mother" In Australia. He bought a machine' -from th© s Government and -learned to fly and obtained a. passenger * carrying license. He had fifty to 'sixty -hours’ dying experience. . THE SEARCHERS. FINDING ; O'F THE WRECK. I WELLINGTON, October 26. Oorttiliuino- the search for tlie plane G. • L. ‘Stednlan ’drome by air at 5.20 this morning and liav- . Tngv'a good idea of •where- tile'airmen , '.would be, flew straight to tlie spot ■where they were found. Cl odds were flying on the hills bat "these lifted temporarily and he saw the sun reflected . ifrbhr the wings of the ’id'ano, making the discovery about ten minutes after • leaving Rongotai. Hie returned' at 'once and soon was c,n theyw'ay back to Tawa. in Wellington free ambulance, which-was left on the main road, the party proceeding to the wreck on foot. 'lt took about an hour o, reach it over the-, hilly grass ,cpunt r y. - They foitnd the machine totally wrecked. Both men had b;en thrown dear, but apparently had been killed instantaneously. A watch on one of them stopped at 3.33. - The bodies were conveyed to the ambulance and then to the city morgue. ' The place where the ,wreck • lies is the very top of a grass rrdge close to Colonial Knob which is 1540 feet high". It 14 surmised that the airmen on reaching Tawa Flat, found the bills between them and Wellington en- ; veloped in clcmd-s and after trying to pass over Jobnsonvillo turned back and heeded for the coast. The clouds Covered about two .hundred feet of tlie high hills separating Tawn Flat from the coast, and the - machine iur,t failed '■to clear the crest of 'the ridge where it was found.