Findlay’s Capsize

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 134, 27 August 1927, Page 1

Findlay’s Capsize

plane Down at Blenheim

Smash in Soft Ground BRISTOL FIGHTER TO CARRY ON COMPLETING the ’’first hop” of his 600 mile flight to Auckland, Captain J. L. Findlay had the misfortune to smash his airplane at Blenheim. No perils of the air, but the mud of mother earth spoilt the effort.

'THE plane. D.H.50, was badly dam--1 aged, but Captain Findlay and --rgeant Simpson were uninjured, and Lv are to carry on in a Bristol qetter which was flown to Blenheim this morning by Captain Buckley. The landing ground at Blenheim, which was under a young crop, apneared to be in good order. The pilot made a good landing, but the wheels sank into the soft ground, the prouellor struck the earth and splintered and the machine turned over. The onlookers were greatly relieved to see the two airmen crawl out from the wreck. In addition to the damage to the cropellor, the radiator was broken, the rudder damaged and the fusilage strained. The plane is being dismantled. “Just as I was on the point of landing I realised that the ground was dangerous,” said Captain Findlay. “I tried to restart the engine and get clear, but it was too late.” The accident was particularly unfortunate, because the D.H.50 had been flown for only a week. This plane is the same type, though a different model, of the one in which Captain Alan Cobham made his famous flights. DISPATCH OF “FIGHTER” Within an hour of the news of the crash being received in Christchurch. Captain Buckley was speeding North in a Bristol Fighter. He was expected to arrire at Blenheim at 12.30 p.m. Captain Findlay is to take over the Bristol and continue the flight. He may reach Auckland this afternoon, but an overnight stay may be made at Hawera, thfe next stopping place. Weather conditions were excellent for the flight. The D.H. 50 left the Wigram airdrome, Christchurch, at 6.45 a.m., and helped by a following wind reached Blenheim one hour and twenty minutes afterwards. The crash occurred at 8.10 a.m.

The D.H. 50 was capable of making a non-stop flight from Christchurch to Auckland, and the stops were arranged because the "trip was planned

for a Bristol Fighter, which has not the range of the other plane. The D.H. is capable of a speed of 100 miles an lionr, and it is equipped with a Seddeley-Puma 240 h.p. engine. The flying time for the 600 miles is estimated at hours. Had no accident occurred the landing at Auckland should have been made at about 2 p.m. AUCKLAND ARRANGEMENTS The" landing place at Auckland has been chosen on private property at Mangere. The suburbs were scoured for a suitable piece of ground by Major T. M. Wilkes, Director of Air Services, and Mr. J. Seabrook, yesterday. The ground which is accessible only by a walk across country, is about one mile from the Manukau Harbour. The purpose of the flight was to place the airplane at the disposal of the Imperial Airship Commission. Flights will be made around Auckland to allow the visitors to inspect sites suitable for mooring masts for a scheme for Empire airship services.