AEROPLANE CRASHES

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LX, Issue 10831, 1 April 1932, Page 3

AEROPLANE CRASHES

Mishap to Home-Made

Machine.

PILOT SERIOUSLY INJURED

Palmerston North. April 1

When flying a home-made baby aeroplane from Foxton Beach to the Foxton township yesterday afternoon, Mr Robert Chrystall, auod 21. son of Mr John Chrystall, of Foxton, crashed, and was seriously injured. The aeroplane was damaged beyond repair. The aeroplane, in 'which Mr Chrystall made a successful firstflight to the beach on Monday, reach.ed a height of ET>Oft. to-day but it nose dived over the pilot. station when banking and crashed on the fore-shore. The pilot, was extricated from the wreckage by a fisherman. He was saturated with petrol but fortunately the machine did not catch fire. Mr Chrystall had 'noth legs fractured and suffered facia! injuries. He was conveyed to I lie Palmerston Notih Hospital in a serious condition. Mr Chrystall has for the past two years interested himself in motorcycle racing, in which lie showed greal promise. A serious accident on the Foxton course last season did not dampen his enthusiasm in this direction, hut his greatest ambition bad boon to build a machine which would fly. By exercising great thrift during the past few years he saved a considerable sum which promised to overcome the financial obstacle to achieving bis ambition. He made a careful study of aviation mechanics, and over twelve months ago decided on the design of the machine which he successfully flew this week. He sent to America for the essential parts. Securing a. shed on an isolated part of Mr M. E, Perron n’s farm on Reach Road, Mr Chrystall set about the construction of the fuselage and undercarriage, which were of his own design. The work was carried out in his spare time in secret. Mr Chrystall has only five hours’ flying to his credit and until Monday had never flown solo.