FATAL CRASH

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 723, 26 December 1933, Page 5

FATAL CRASH

(Prfess Assn.-

PILOT KILLED

AUCKLANDER FATALLY HURT IN NAPIER CLUB MACHINE STALLED WIHEN TURNINC

— By Telegraph— Copyright).

Napier, Monday. A fatal crash occurred at Na.pjer ; aerodrome on Sunday morning," the pilot, Mr. Hugh C. Curlett, who was flying the Hawkes Bay Aero Club's Moth ZK-ACY alone, falling from a little over 100 feet. He sustained concussion and an apparent fraeture of the skull and a compound fraeture of the left ankle and died in Napier Hospital on Sunday night. j The machine was smashed to matehwood. | Mr. Curlett was a memiber of the HaWkes Bay Aero Club and held a ; B class eommercial flying license. He ! was ian experienced pilpt and train- | ed by the local club. I Flight-Lieutenant Gerrant, instructor t-o the Hawkes Bay Club had : flown the machine from Napier to | Hastings earlier in the morning with Curlett as a passenger, the purpose being to conduct weekly instructions amolxg mfemhers of the Napier Aero Club. Flight-Lieutenant Gerrant eonsidered the wind too strong for pupils to fly ianid gave Mr. Curlett perpiission to take a passenger to W/aikare. He completed the trip and returned ' alone and then hook a pupil, Mr. F. i Wiilson for instrucfion. | He landed and theri went up alone 1 and climbed to a little over 100 fjeet. He then attempted to turn to "the

right but apparently had not grea.t enough margin of speed and, stalled in the middle of the turn, crashipg on to the aerodrome. Flight-Lieutenant Gerrant estimated :that the velocity of the wind bjowing at the time was 25 or 30 mil.es an. hour, Teaching perhaps 45- miles in gusts. In hig opinion the weather wias perfectly safe for flying. esRecially for a pilot of Mr, Curleft's qualifications. Flight-Lieutenant Gerrant, with a meehanic, Mr. Fellow, afterwards examined the engine and controls. Bofch are convinced that the cause of the accident was that the plane turned at too low a speed. All the controls were intact. The throttle was. open and the engine in apparently normal condition. There was no- ipdieation of engine or other mechaiiical failqre. (Mr. Curlett has a hrother named Richard, and. a sister Marie living . ip Napier, an.d another brqther in Auckland. His wife and child also liyq in Auckland. ... This is the first accident in whieh injury or deatti has been caused to club memhers since the club was' estahlished over. four years ago. .