"DEATH BY MISCHANCE."

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 103, 4 May 1931, Page 8

"DEATH BY MISCHANCE."

EVIDENCE AT IHE INQUEST. ■NO SUGGESTION OF SUICIDE. (By .Telegraph.—Press Association.) '■: .. ,'• . . OAMARU, this day. An inquest concerning, the death of Lieut. Haakon Qviller was held this morning. . . Captain White, of Airways, Limited, stated in evidence that Qviller tested the parachute before the flight and seemed satisfied. He appeared to exercise every care in folding it. Before leaving the plane Qviller said: "I think everything is all right." He got away very cleanly..

Before leaving the ground, witness continued, Qviller : said he intended to make a. delayed drop, falling about 500 feet before opening the parachute. Witness saw nobody interfering with the parachute, though , there were many curious people about when it was being folded. - . ''

After the accident, witness said, he Tound one strpwl of the con] loor-psi iroiiTi'l flf r>n,v'--f > which would prevent it from opening.

Replying to a <]w -ion, witness said ihat in conversation before the descent Qviller gave no indication of intent to commit suicide.

Senior-Sergeant Scott said lie asked (he question because of the extraordinirv position of the cord.

A verdict of death by mischance was returned.

The Canterbury Aero Club is undertaking, the buri&l arrangements, and the body is going to Christchurch to-morrow.

Lieutenant QViller entered the Norwegian Flying Corps in 1920, but an accident prevented him from becoming a pilot. He then began to experiment in parachute descents, and for the last 10 years had been exclusively engaged in this'branch of aeronautics. Lieutenant Q'viller arrived in Auckland from Australia in January in order ,to give a series of parachute demonstrations throughout the Dominion. While making a descent from a height of 10,000 ft at Bondi. Sydney, on January 28, 1928, Lieutenant Q'viller was carried out to sea, and descended in shark-infested waters six miles from the coast. After being in the water for about an hour he was picked up by the boat of a passing cargo steamer. His first descent in New Zealand was made at the Auckland Aero Club's pageant on January 24, when he provided the spectators with a thrilling exhibition of his skill. Since then he had made many descents at the various air pageants held throughout New Zealand. . -