LOSS OF KOTARE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 May 1938, Page 7

LOSS OF KOTARE

ONE ENGINE CUTS OUT MANGARE TRAGEDY. PLANE HITS CLUMP OF TREES AND CATCHES FIRE. By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, May 10. Further details of the crash of the Union Airways liner Kotare a few minutes after leaving Mangare for Wellington at 12.15 p.m. today, as the result of which the two occupants, Commander C. M. Duthie and his copilot, Second Officer W. J. Peel were killed or burnt, to death, show that when the monoplane took off it did not gain altitude. The monoplane was seen to be forced down a mile west of the aerodrome. As the monoplane dropped she burst into flames. Union Company representatives who saw the plane forced down were on the scene by motor-car and on foot within four minutes. When they arrived at the scene of the crash both pilots were dead. The Lockheed had just come up from Wellington on the morning run, * and Commander Keith Brownjohn, who piloted her, stated that to his knowledge the engines were -in good order. He said he could tell nothing of the tragedy, although he had seen the plane take off. With the usual cheery salutations to those about, Commander Duthie and Second Officer Peel had taken their seats at the controls. Then the big 12-passeriger lowwing monoplane turned into the wind, sped down the runway and lifted over the creek below and turned her head north. As the plane left the ground watchers below had kept their eyes on her and saw her rise to take about the usual altitude when taking off and circle slowly, heading round towards the south. She did not gain altitude and the ground staff and Union Airways officers gathered about the hangar suddenly saw her plunge toward the ground. Then' they saw her crash and a sudden burst of flame and smoke rose. For a moment they all stood still. Then the onlookers rushed immediately to cars and, carrying emergency fire equipment with them, made up the road to the scene of the tragedy. TERRIBLE SIGHT. It was a terrible sight that presented itself to them. Across a swampy creek among a clump of trees, some of ) which had been broken by the crash, lay the blazing structure of the plane, ; its wings crumpled back, its tail bro'ken off and its nose bent and embedded in the muddy ground. The cabin was a mass of flame, and, although Union Airways staff men tried to get . close enough to use fire extinguishers, it was impossible because of the heat of the flames. They could see that it was impossible to do anything for the pilots trapped inside. They would by that" time have been already beyond help.

Making heroic efforts, however, Mr A. N. Patterson, the engineer, and other helpers gradually attacked the flames with extinguishers, and as the fire burnt out or was conquered, the charred bodies of the two men were revealed. From their position in the machine it was impossible to say definitely whether they had been killed instantaneously by the shock of the crash or''whether they had been burnt as they attempted to make their way to the rear door. The latter theory seemed highly improbable in the circumstances. In the meantime ambulances had been called from the city and three machines were sent out. PITIFUL MASS OF WRECKAGE. At 1 o’clock the machine was still burning, and as yet those at the scene had been unable to take the remains of the two men from it. It was a grim scene in the centre of the sunlit paddock, where, from the roadway, only the smoke rising above the trees told the story. Ambulances were lined up ready but unnecessary, and across the stream and in among the trees were groups of Maoris and local residents. A group of stern-faced men was working busily with fire-extinguij>.ers or stood silent. Among them was Commander Brownjohn. With his hands on the controls the Kotare had lifted above Rongotai, carrying six passengers, and had droned a fast and an even course along the line of the North Island to its landing at Mangere at 11.45 after a final circle over the city of Auckland. Now it was a crumpled and pitiful mass of broken plates and steel framework. At the scene there was little that could be done. When the flames had died down sufficiently the bodies of the two men were removed as carefully as possible and were taken away to the morgue. The scene of the crash and the remains of the plane were then given over to the police. An inquiry will be held later. Aside from the immediate tragedy, the crash of the Kotare had another significance. It marred the hitherto clean record of New Zealand's major airline and it was the first accident that had befallen one of the airliners employed by Union Airways on main trunk services. Fortunate only in the circumstances was the fact that on this flight there were no passengers. MACHINE SPLITS IN HALF. “I was working on a farm a few hundred yards away,” said a youth, Ray Andrews. “I first saw the plane just as she was clearing the aerodrome buildings and then I noticed that the left-hand engine had cut out. This caused me to watch the plane closer, and I saw it turn through south-west and west and toward the north-east. It was starting to lose height and when it reached the trees I saw the whole machine split in half. The wings struck the trees near one of the engines. The machine was banking steeply when it crashed and I could see clearly that the left-hand engine had stopped. I ran as hard as I could toward the clump of trees and lost my shoes in the

mud on the way. The plane was a mass of flames when I reached it and I could do nothing.” “I am spending a holiday in the district, and went across to the aerodrome to see the Lockheed arrive and take off again,” said Mr Haddon Smith, member of the New Plymouth Aero Club. “The plane arrived about 11.30, and took off again an hour later. I took particular notice of the take-off,” he continued. “The pilot commenced to taxi into the wind just at the tail-end of a heavy downpour of rain, and the Lockheed appeared to get into difficulties just as she commenced to rise.” It was only by clever manoeuvring that the pilot missed hitting the aero club's hangar. He was obliged to rise steeply to avoid a crash here. As he got into the air I noticed that the right-hand propeller was not functioning, which, of course, accounted for the trouble. I watched the machine closely, and called out to some of the mechanics on the ground that one of the propellers was not working. The plane proceeded in a circular direction as if the pilot had decided to get into the correct position to come back and land. He was making towad a clump of trees, and after a few moments I heard a loud crash and, simultaneously with this sound, flames burst out of the clump of trees and leaped high into the air. Representatives of the Post and Telegraph Department also travelled to Mangere as,the wrecked machine had been carrying a small quantity of mail, which was completely destroyed in the fire. The mail comprised 180 letters and three parcels, one bag being for Palmerston North, one for Wellington and one for Nelson. The mail included letters for Palmerston North, Wellington, Nelson, Timaru and, Christchurch.

One of Union Airways’ senior pilots, Commander C. M. Duthie, who was killed in the air crash at Auckland yesterday, -was a popular member of the staff and recognised in New Zealand aviation circles as a very able pilot. He was born in Wanganui 30 years ago and belonged to a family well known in the Feilding district. He received his initial flying training with the Wellington Aero Club and was one of the club’s first pilots. Second Officer W. J. Peel was born in Masterton 24 years ago and received his first flying training as a member of the Hawke’s Bay and East Coast Aero Club, Napier. His total flying time was slightly in excess of 600 hours and since joining the staff of Union Airways in 1937 he had served as a co-pilot on the Auckland-Welling-ton service. He was a son of Mr and Mrs W. Peel, Shakespeare Road, Napier.

INQUIRY ORDERED

STATEMENT BY MINISTER. FULL REPORT TO BE MADE By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, May 11. Steps taken to investigate the accident to the Union Airways plane at Mangere were outlined by the Minister in charge of Aviation, the Hon F. Jones, in a statement issued last evening. Mr Jones said that he had arranged for officials of the Air Department to proceed immediately to the scene of the accident to make a thorough investigation and furnish a full report to him. “Preliminary steps have been taken to prevent unauthorised interference with the wreckage,” said the Minister, “and Squadron Leader - Olsen from Hobsonville was instructed to proceed to the scene of the accident immediately advice was received.”

MR SAVAGE’S SYMPATHY HARD TO EXPRESS FEELINGS (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, May 11. Sincere sympathy with the relatives of the two pilots —Commander C. M. Duthie and Second Officer W. J. Peel —who lost their lives in the accident to the Union Airways Lockheed air-liner, was expressed last evening