AIR SMASH

Hokitika Guardian, 25 September 1933, Page 5

AIR SMASH

CRASH AT -LANDING TWO COASTERS INJURED. (Per Press Association— I Copyright). BLENHEIM, September 24. ■ A serious aviation - crash occurred at tlie Bleiiheini aerodrome just'after midday to-day,. when the Marlborough Aero Club’s three-seater Hermes Spartan plane, piloted by A.'E. Willis, with two, passengers, aboard,struck the ground heavily•• lii landing • front Wellington. The ■ plane, overturned, and bounced several times, ■ before being reduced to a -mass of wreckage. • The ,pilot, Willis, miraculously escaped with only 'minor facial injuries, together, with cuts find abrasions on vfirious parts of hjs legs and body, but his passengers, r are more seriously injured. They. >weve Mr E. T. Maindonald, motor proprietor, ,of Reefton,end'Mr B. OuninVings, motor driver, of Wakefield,' Nelson. .

Both Mainjonald . and . Cummings were rushed to. the. hospital in the ambulance, ■ . - Maindonald find Cummings' arrived at Blenheim from the West Coast on Friday evening, , and chartered the plane for-a visit to Wellington. They Hew to tlib‘ capital on Saturday morning, and they took' off from the Rongotai aerodrome "op their return jour, her shortly after 11 o’clock this pixmilng, • ;• • v ' WUjiej who-; is an experienced pilot, holds a B-license, jFIe states . that when the plane was well across Cook Strait.; he < noticed something wrong with the" elevator - controls, it being impossible either .to climb or put the machine .into a, 'glide. The machine was inclined to drop,- but he kept her in the air -until over Blenheim, by reviling up the engine. * Then, when he was over - the aerodrome, he shut off the engine ; v at a fairly low height, and be attempted. to make a pancake landing, but she struck heavily, turning over several, tijhps, before coming to

rest. • y" ; Wiliisjvas partially, but he, succeeded ,m, 'dragging . his two semi-conscious-companions from- the passenger’s cockpit, ahd assistance! was speedily at hand." ‘ The Hermes Spartan plane,’ “ATC ABZ” was the property of the Club, and it was recently.,; completely rebuilt at Timaru; -after haying crashed at Rongatai. It proved a very useful machine, but it is uoxv . a total loss, practically , nothing being: kalvagable.

The Club has - been flying now since 1928, and, though it hyg suffered a series of ..niinot crashes,'this is, the first occasion 'on which 'members have been injured, except'for o few minor cuts sustained by; a ‘trainee pupil on one of his first solo flights.. The only other serious accident in Blenheim occurred to- n -visiting machine a couple of -years. ngc>. .- .

PILOT’S CORRECT.

BLENHEIM, 1 September 24. Mafndonald is suffering; from severe concussion and othe ’ and hs condition is grave. Cummings sustained a broken ncso and other' facial ■ injuries, and, many cuts and but ks ’condition is not’ regarded as serious. Both men are. * suffering severely, from shock. Y°

Pilot Willis, 'who escaped comparatively lightly, states .that, owing to soniething • jamming- ’ tlie elevator controls, he was unable to do anything except to fly more or less, level, which he achieved •: by: putting, on bursts of the engine .every .time that the nose of the machine fell. In offect, the machine covered some ten miles pigbuckilng, up as' the’, fuel throttle was opened. Willis considered, that 'he. , could have kept going' in this fashion until the petrol ran out, but,, ultimately, 'after a vain attempt to free the controls, lie decided to effect a crash, landing. The machine struck the ground at a. speed .of 80 miles art. hour. She turned over several times. Experienced' pilots consider that, in all of the circumstances, Willis did well in obviating greater disaster. The director' of Air Seiwiees, Squadron -Leader ,Wilke? ; and Flight-Lieut-enant Buckley, arrived by air from Christchurch, and Have inspected the wreckage with a view to an inquiry into the crash. • > ‘ • DEATH OF .MAINDQNALD. BLENHEIM, September 25. Edgar Maindonald, of Reefton, who was injured in- yesterday’s air crash,; died at “an early 'hour this morning. ' Cummings passed a good night, but apart from other injuries, is sufferirg severely from shock.:-, ‘