LANDS ON MOTOR CAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 May 1938, Page 3

LANDS ON MOTOR CAR

PARACHUTIST’S MISHAP (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, May 22. Leaping from an aeroplane at a height of 1500 feet, the Auckland parachutist, Mr G. W. Sellars, landed on the steel roof of a sedan motor-car during an exhibition held by the Auckland Aero Club at Mangere aerodrome this afternoon. Although he struck the car so forcibly that the body was dented, Mr Sellars was not even bruised. The mishap occurred in his first descent of the afternoon. A light south-westerly wind was blowing at the time and the parachutist jumped from the machine when it was over Manakau harbour. With the light and variable breeze the descent was tricky. The space in front of the bank where the clubhouse formerly stood was packed with motor-cars, several of which were actually on the aerodrome. As Mr Sellars was descending people scattered from his path. Although the parachutist attempted to side-slip and used every means in his power to clear the packed cars he did not have sufficient height and crashed on to the roof of a car. The force of the impact threw him off the roof and he struck a mudguard before coming to earth. Numerous people rushed to assist Mr Sellars to his feet, but it was found that he had escaped without the slightest injury.