AEROPLANE CRASH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 134, 8 June 1936, Page 9

AEROPLANE CRASH.

ACCIDENT IN FOG. CH\IE PASSENGER INJURED. ORDEAL FOR WOUNDED MAN. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Sunday. An aeroplane which went to Porter's Pass to-day to pick up an injured man and bring him to the hospital crashed in a clover field near the Christchurch aerodrome. A passenger was hurt. Mr. Leslie B. Pierr, of Strickland Street, a member of a deer stalking party at Porter's Pass, was accidentally shot in the body and his friends telephoned for an aeroplane. Mr. S. A. Gibbons, pilot instructor of the Canterbury Aero Club, left in a Fox Moth at about noon with Mr. R. S. Taylor, a builder, of Wairarapa Road, as a passenger. toother aeroplane went with him. Mr. Gibbons landed safely at Porter's Pass and took Mr. Pierr on board in a stretcher. The accompanying areoplane returned and landed safely at the Wigram aerodrome about 3.30 p.m., but soon afterwards the weather, already very thick and foggy, became much worse. Mr. Gibbons' areoplane could be heard overhead at the aerodrome more than once. The pilot was obviously searching for the landing field, but could not find it, and those on land were unable to signal to him. He came lower, but so thick was the fog and mist that he could not see the ground until he was only a few feet from it. He struck heavily on one wing, just missing two haystacks. The pilot was unhurt. Mr. Taylor received head and face injuries, but after treatment at the hospital was sent home in an ambulance. Mr. Pierr, already in a grave condition, received severe shock, but seemed not to have suffered any other hurt. His condition is described as fairly serious. Aeroplane Much Damaged. The aeroplane is so extensively damaged that it will probably be a total loss. It had been in possession of the aero club for about two years and was recently overhauled. It was valued at £1400. The deerstalking party had a very difficult task in bringing Mr. Pierr from the point where he was injured to Porter's Pass. The party of six left Christchurch at 5 o'clock this morning for Porter's Pass, and arrived two hours later. They proceeded up the mountain, three taking one side of a valley and three the other. After about two hours and a half one of the men on the right-hand side of the valley, who was on the edge of the bush, saw a stag in the bush and fired. He went down to investigate and found Mr. Pierr lying on the ground shot in the stomach. He called to the remaining man on that side of the valley, who joined them. Later he set out for Springfield for help and to telephone for an aeroplane.

On the way down he met the three men from the other side of the valley and told them of the accident. They went to the scene, and a stretcher was made with clothes and saplings. Cifting the injured man on to this, the four members of the party began the 4000 ft descent to where the aeroplane from Christcliurch was to meet them. It took about four hours to cover the distance to the bottom of the valley, as the country was very steep and broken and snow was lying on the ground for the first part of the journey. The aeroplane was waiting when they arrived.