FORCED DOWN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 152, 30 June 1939, Page 3

FORCED DOWN.

MONOPLANE'S MISHAP.

ENGINE FAILS IN AIR.

MACHINE SUFFERS DAMAGE. One wing and the propeller of the Mil?s Hawk monoplane owned by the Marlborough Aero Club were damaged when the machine struck a sand dune at Tort Waikato yesterday after being forced to land through the engine stopping at an altitude of 1.500 ft. Neither the pilot, Mr. Walter Britton, flying instructor of the Marlborough Aero Club, nor the passenger, Mr. H. Hewitson, a member of the club, was injured. The machine left Blenheim on Wednesday and was flown to Xow Plymouth. where it stayed overnight, leaving for Hobsonville air base shortly before 11 a.m. yesterday, the pilot following the west coast route. Flying conditions were humpy, and at about 12.30 p.m.. when , the machine was over Port Waikato. it ran into a very bad patch and the engine stopped. Mr. Britton decided to land on what appeared to bo a smooth stretch of sand about, a. quarter of a mile below the wharf at Port Waikato, but was unable to prevent the machine from running into a sand dune bordering the sea. One blade of the propeller snapped off and portion of one wing collapsed, but the fuselage remained intact. The flyers anchored the machine and walked to the wharf, where they reported the accident by telephone to the Auckland Aero Club from the Roose Shipping Company's store at Port Waikato. Later they were driven to Tuakau by Mr. W. Graham, who is in charge of the store, and stopped there over-night. An estimate of the damage will be made to-day with the aid of a Government, inspector of aircraft. The purpose of the flight was to take delivery of a new Tiger Moth, recently assembled at Hobsonville for the Marlborough Club. It was Mr. Britton's intention to fly this machine back to Blenheim while Mr. Hewitson piloted the Miles Hawk. Although it may be delayed for « day or so, the original arrangement will be followed, and Mr. Britton will take the Tiger Moth south.