PILOT KILLED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 304, 26 December 1933, Page 3

PILOT KILLED.

AEROPLANE WRECKED

FATALITY AT NAPIER. WIFE LIVING AT AUCKLAND. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) NAPIER, Monday. A fatal crash occurred at the Napier aerodrome yesterday morning, the victim being Mr. Hugh C. Curlett, who was flying the Hawke's Bay Aero Club's Moth ZKACY alone. The machine dropped from a little over 100 feet, and the- pilot (suffered concussion, an apparent fracture of the skull and a compound fracture of the left ankle. lie died in tho Napier Hospital last night. The machine was badly smashed. Mr. Curlett was a member of the Hawke's Bay Aero Club and held a B class commercial flying license. He was an experienced pilot and had been trained by the local club. Flight-Lieutenant Qerrand, instructor to tho Hawke's Bay Club, had flown the aeroplane to Napier from Hastings earlier in the morning' with Mr. Curlett as passenger, the purpose being to conduct the weekly instruction among members of tho Napier Aero Club. Mr. Gerrand considered the wind too strong for pupils to fly and gave Mr. Curlett permission to take a passenger to Waikare. Mr. Curlett completed the trip and returned alone. He then took up a pupil, Mr. F. Wilson, for instruction. He landed again and subsequently went up alone. He climbed to a little over 100 feet and then attempted to turn to tho right, but apparently had not a great enough margin of speed. The machine stalled in tho middle of the turn and tho aeroplane crashed on the aerodrome. Weather Conditions Safe. Mr. Gerrand estimates the velocity of tho wind blowing at the time at 25 or 30 miles, reaching perhaps 45 in gusts. In his opinion the weather was perfectly safe for flying, especially for a pilot of Mr. Curlett's qualifications. Mr. Gerrand, with a mechanic, afterwards examined the engine and controls of tho machine and he and the mechanic are convinced that the cause of the accident was that the aeroplane turned at too low a epecd. It ie stated all tho controls were intact, the throttle open and the engine in apparently normal condition. There was no indication of engine or other mechanical failure, said Mr. Gerrand. Mr. Curlett ie survived by hie wife and child, who reside at Empire Road, Epsom, Auckland. A brother and sister livo at Napier and another brother in Auckland. This is the first accident In which injury or death has been caused to club members einco the Napier Club was established over four j'ears ago.