FATAL GLIDE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 March 1941, Page 4

FATAL GLIDE

YOUNG AIRMAN KILLED NEAR HELENSVILLE PLANE CAUGHT IN GUST OF WIND. FIRE FOLLOWS CRASH. , (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND,. March 28. A pilot of the Royal New Zealand Air Force in a training plane was killed when the machine crashed and burst into flames at Woodhill, near Helensville, at 11 o’clock this morning. The victim was: Airman Pilot Edwin Chaytor Moore, single, aged 23. His mother is Mrs M. A. Moore, Mount Eden Road. Auckland. The plane was attached to the Whenuapai station. It was observed to cut off its motor and glide down, but watchers considered that the pilot delayed too long in switching on the motor again. The machine appeared to be caught by the wind and turned over-, crashing in a paddock of Dr. Aitkenhead's farm. The machine immediately burst into flames and was completely destroyed. A column of mechanised troops was passing at the time and the troops went immediately to the rescue, but they were unable to save the airman who was killed. Mr J. E. Kiddie, who saw the accident from his cowshed, said the machine appeared to be gliding down gently with the motor turned off, but in his opinion the motor was not brought into commission again in .time to clear the ground. There was a south-westerly breeze blowing at the time and the machine appeared to be caught before striking the ground. Born in Auckland in 1917, Airman Pilot Moore was educated at the Auckland Grammar School and was well known in Auckland as a senior player for the Grafton Rugby Football Club and also as a representative oarsman. A Court of Inquiry will be held.