AEROPLANE CRASH.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2837, 24 January 1925, Page 2

AEROPLANE CRASH.

PERCY COLEMAN SLIGHTLY INJURED. A narrow escape from death was experienced at Palmerston N. on Thursday morning hv Mr Coleman, the lacing motorist and aviator, at I lie commencement of the aeroplane flight lo Asliliurst, where he was to compete at the motor sports. He crashed to the ground with his machine, sustaining cuts and other injuries to the face. An eye-witness (>i; (he accident says that the machine left the shed at Mi Ison’s line, and ran along the paddock to take off. The aeroplane rose from the ground to about twenty feet, and then crashed through telegraph and electric supply wires and fell nose first. Coleman was assisted to a nearhv house and was then taken to town. His injuries were not severe enough to need hispital treatment.

Conversing with a “Standard” reporter at Ashhurst, he said: “The accident was had lack. I had to fl v the machine to the course, hut when 1 went to take off the breeze was blowing in the least favourable direction. and to lake advantage of if I hail to endeavour to clear some electric power lines at one side of ths paddock, in a very limited distance. If was mv own fault, really, but I thought I could get over. Probably T would have done so had not a slight turn of the wind affected my start. When T got near the lines T did all T could to rise high enough and at flu- time of the accident T thought I was clear. It is difficult to judge distances in such a case and the undercarriage caught and broke the wires and I crashed with the machine. I was able to get. out of the wreckage without trouble and escaped with facial injuries and a shaking. The machine is ruined. I suppose,” he concluded, “that T am both lucky and unlucky—lucky to escape more serious injury and unlucky to have struck the wires.” Mr Coleman’s injuries were not extensive though a wound in the face necessitated the insertion of several stitches.

On Noav Year’s Day Afr Coleman flew from Palmerston N lo Foxton beach and while flying at the Heads broke a valve, causing mechanical damage, which had been specially repnirejl with the object of giving exhibition flights at. Hie motor races at Ash hurst.