PILOT INJURED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 68, 22 March 1937, Page 3

PILOT INJURED.

AIR PAGEANT ACCIDENT.,

LAXDIXG COMPETITION CRASH.

fßy Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

GREYMOUTH, this day. A eerous fracture of the skull was suffered by Mr. Frank Sharman, of Chriatchurch, in an accident which marred the South Island air pageant at Hokitika' yesterday afternoon. Mr. Sharman was flying the Canterbury Aero Club's D.H. Gipay I. Moth 'plane 2KAAI in the senior landing competition.

The event was the last oz ih* day's programme, and Mr. Sharman was .the only competitor remaining. When EOft off the ground he appeared to be landing slowly. Suddenly the left wing dipped, and before he could correct the position the wing touched the ground and collapsed. The nose of the aeroplane hit the ground, smashing both propeller blades to splinters. The machine then righted itself. A crowd of over 2000 rushed to the scene, but were held back by a cordon of police and officials. The aeroplane was removed and dismantled in a few minutes. It was fortunate that it did not catch fire, ds the petrol was running and the tank smoking. Mr. Sharman, who was the only occupant, was seen to be injured. He was removed to the Westland Hospital. The aeroplane was constructed of parts of a machine in which a. pilot, Mr. J. Itenton, and Mr. J. D. Lynch, crashed and were killed on the side of Mount Turiwhati in 1933.

The Westport aerodrome, a subject of great controversy recently when condemned as unfit for use by commercial aeroplanes, proved a blessing to seven pilots on Saturday on their way to the pageant at Hokitika. Residents of Westport were amazed at the number of aeroplanes forced to land owing to bad visibility in the morning. Seven machines landed on the aerodrome in quick succession, leaving later in the afternoon.