HURRIED LANDING

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22082, 3 May 1937, Page 10

HURRIED LANDING

AEROPLANE FORCED DOWN IN HILLY COUNTRY MACHINE SLIGHTLY DAMAGED; PILOT UNHURT (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) BLENHEIM. May 1. Soon after taking off from the Blenheim aerodrome on a flight to Masterton yesterday afternoon, Mr K. Johnston. pilot instructor to the Wairarapa Aero Club, made a forced landiflg at Ocean Bay. in Port Underwood. 'Die engine of his machine, an Avro Avian, ZK —ADQ, cut out because of magneto trouble. , . , The pilot had to make a hurried selection of a landing ground in hilly country, and succeeded in making an excellent landing on a rougn, sloping paddock without injury to himself ana only slight damage to the machine. Mr Johnston was making a return flight to Masterton from Christchurch, where he had been attending a blind flying course, and called at the Blenheim aerodrome at 3.20 p m., taking off 15 minutes later. He followed the usual course of going some miles up the coast before turning to fly over the sea, and was just preparing to gain height for this stage of the journey when the engine cut out. With the machine losing height rapidly. he had to make the best landing he could under the conditions, and the most likely looking ground from the air appeared to be a cleared paddock, which, on closer inspection, proved to be sloping and on difficult country. The pilot succeeded in bringing the machine down to a safe landing, however, with only slight crumpling of the undercarriage. Mr Johnston spent the night at Ocean Bay, and came on to Blenheim this morning. What steps will be taken to remove the machine are uncertain, but probably sea transport will have to be used. Mr Johnston said that only slight repairs were necessary to put the machine into flying order, but it was impossible to take off from Ocean Bay. The machine is owned by Mr Johnston.