AEROPLANE CRASH.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3035, 13 May 1926, Page 3

AEROPLANE CRASH.

INQUIRY CONTINUED,

Christchurch, May 12,

The inquest on Captain Horrell and Lewis Martin Reid, the victims of the aeroplane smash, was resumed this morning. After medical evidence had been heard, a boy named Leonard Lane gave evidence that the aeroplane did a “stunt” over a church, looped the loop and turned, and then did not appear to take another loop properly. It half-turned and crashed to the ground. Lieutenant Purcer Arlington Turner, who was in the machine, said Captain Horrell sat in the pilot’s cockpit. Reid was seated with witness in the rear. Reid had asked to go up. They looped the loop over Papanui, all having agreed to do so. It was an ordinary loop. Captain Horrell appeared to be his usual self. They came out of the second loop alright, and then went into a spin, going downward after spinning, while the tail began to move in an unusual manner. Then the machine dived straight to the ground. He did not know what height they were flying at just before the crash. The height w 7 as safe for that machine to do a loop. Often he saw the altimeter at 2000 feet. He could not say whether it went down lower. Before they struck the ground Captain Horrell switched the engine on; his intention was to try to get out of the spin and recover control. The engine had been shut off as they came out of the second loop.

The Coroner: Had Captain Horrell got too low?

Witness: I cannot pass an opinion on that point. The Coroner returned a formal verdict, stating that no blame was attachable to anyone. He remarked that the spin might have caused Captain Horrell to be giddy, and that giddiness would result in the accident.