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TWO KILLED

PLANE CRASH

MOUNTAIN STRUCK

AIR TRAVEL MACHINE

(0.C.) CHRISTCHURGH, this day

Tvvo passengers were killed and five injured when an Air Travel, Ltd., D.H. Dragon crashed on' the hillside near Glenhope on a flight from Nelson to Hokitika yesterday ; afternoon. The victims were:— Killed Mr. Maurice Dawe, Hokitika, secretary of Air Travel, Ltd. Captain J. C. Mercer, Hokitika, managing-director of Air Travel, Ltd. Injured Mrs. E. Russell. Westport, both legs broken, condition serious. Miss A. Patterson, matron of Buller Public Hospital, Westport, broken leg. Flight-Lieutenant P. C. Lewis, the pilot, minor injuries and shock. Mr. B. R. Perry, sales manager of Macduffs, . Ltd., Wellington, shock and minor injuries. Mr. G. M. Strathmore, general manager of Macduffs, Ltd., Wellington, shock and abrasions. I: First News of Crash Stretcher parties brought out the injured soon after dawn to-day after a terribly difficult trip through rough bush and a flooded creek bed. The machine crashed in some of the roughest country in New Zealand, but it was fortunate the scene was only a mile and a half from the Nelson-Westport highway. News of the crash was brought by "Mr- Perry, who with FlightLieutenant Lewis struggled without lights through the bush and down the creek to the road. FlightLieutenant Lewis collapsed 50 yards from the road and his companion came- out into the open at 10.15 p.m. and was picked up by Mr. Arthur Hughes, of Murchison, a transport driver. Struck Mountainside The aircraft, a twin-engined eight-1 seater. de Havilland Dragon, left Nelson for Westport at 1.11 and was last seen over Glenhope, 60 miles south of Nelson, between 1-30 and 1.40 p.m., ; .flying _ low and apparently in difficulties.. The machine is thought to have turned back because of fog to make for an emergency landing strip at Tophouse. The crash occurred a mile north or Kawatiri and four miles south of Glenhope. From evidence gained this morning the.machine struck a patch of bush at the top of a paddle, somersaulted and crashed down a precipitous face into the creek bed. Though the scene was only about a'mile and a half from the mam road, the route down the creek bed was in parts impassable because of flooding, and the bush was nearly as bad. It was down this route that Mr. Perry and the pilot struggled without lights and in pouring ram.

Succour for Pilot When Mr: Perry was picked up by Mr. Hughes he was' driven to Gowan Bridge store, where Mr. and Mrs. P. Disererit made him comfortable and communicated with the police. The party then went back to look for Flight-Lieutenant j_,ewis, who was found lying in a small elearing in the bush 50 yards from the road. He was put in an ambulance and first taken to the store and then to Murchison Hospital. Early this morning he was transferred with the other injured to Nelson Hospital. Mr. Perry, too, received medical attention at Murchison. Rescue Party's Task

It was a wild night,, rain coining down in torrents, with an occasional > flurry of snow or sleet. Constable J C. Moore, of Murchison, organised the search parties to go out before dawn, and soon after 3 a.m. about 1 30 district people and Dr. R. Lucas, i of Nelson, set out for the scene. Tne first part of the journey was com- ' paratively easy, but the going got worse and worse as the party penetrated the bush. The creek was runriing bank to bank m several places and it would have been dangerous to try. to claw a way along its bank, so searchers hacked their way through thick bush to make detours. , , , They found the aeroplane a tangled ( mass of wreckage, with the .mjured ( Passengers sheltering miserably ■ Ender makeshift shelters constructed - nnt of parts of the machine and strips of torn off fabric. Dr. Lucas save first aid on the scene and th en the injured were placed on stretchers for the return trip. Strain on Stretcher-Bearers The trip out was even worse than the trip in, and relays were orga- ' rISS *5 S3§ was Dr . Paul Kunzwell i assisted with the injured before they were teken to Nelson Hospital by , am -I U don't know how. Mr.. Perry • managed to make the trip, said one < of the stretcher party this morning. , "His route took him over about < eight miles of some of the roughest - country anywhere, and part of the iourney had to be made down a pre- ( Sous hillside. He was suffering from injuries to his ribs, and he had in some places to help the pilot who too was in a bad way. How they did' it without light I don t toiow. I wouldn't have done the same tiip for a bet." Very Kougli Terrain The country rou«d Glenhope is heavily bushed, and broken by sharp gullies and rock faults, numerous • intersecting creeks which form about the only practicable means travelling. Gold who work these streams have to use pack horses for their supplies. _ x. The main highway, which runsthrough the area, was literally hacked out of rock and bush, and in places runs up to a height of more than 2000 ft. Scene of the Crash The saddle where the machine crashed was estimated to be about 3500 ft high. The face on which the machine crashed is not particularly staep, and is covered with sparse bush from 15ft to 20ft high. It is likely that this bush cushioned the shock of the crash and more or less eased the aeroplane over the crest of the ridge. It was in the fall down the steep opposite face that tne machine was smashed to pieces. The passengers were thrown out as the machine rolled down. Those who saw the wreckage this morning doubted whether it would be worth the difficulties involved in salvaging the machine, which was practically new. It was not fitted jbl "with wireless. fk. '

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19440701.2.60

Bibliographic details

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 154, 1 July 1944, Page 6

Word Count
984

TWO KILLED Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 154, 1 July 1944, Page 6

TWO KILLED Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 154, 1 July 1944, Page 6

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