FORCED LANDING AT PORT

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22414, 30 May 1938, Page 8

FORCED LANDING AT PORT

CLUB AEROPLANE DAMAGED PETROL SUPPLY GIVES OUT

PILOT AND PASSENGER

UNINJURED

The Miles Whitney Straight monoplane, ZK-AEO. belonging to the Canterbury Aero Club, was fairly badly damaged in a forced landing on the reclaimed area by the bulb petrol tanks near Naval Point, Lyttelton, yesterday afternoon. The port leg of the undercarriage was broken and forced up through the wing, which was badly smashed near the base. Neither the pilot, Norman Alexander Suttie, nor his passenger, Geoffrey Brandstater, was injured. The forced landing was made because of a shortage of petrol. The aeroplane, which had made several flights during the day, left the grounds of the Aero Club at Wigram shortly after 4 p.m., in gusty nor-west weather. It was seen to approach the harbour oyer Quail Island, flying fairly low, and to circle the inner harbour. When the petrol supply gave out and the engine stopped, the pilot had noj chance of making back over the hills | to flat land on the plains, and chose the reclaimed area as being the best | chance of putting the aeroplane! down with least injury. He came in low over the petrol tanks, and I fairly close to the hills. While he was still some distance off the ground the aeroplane struck an air pocket, causing it to drop suddenly and “pancake” on to the ground. The undercarriage did not stand up to the strain of the landing, and the port leg crumpled up and smashed its'way through the base of the wing. The aeroplane came to rest with its nose on the ground and its tail pointing into the air. The propeller was in a hoizontal position when it stopped revolving and it thus escaped any damage. The aeroplane was only about two or three chains from the tanks when it crashed.

Repairs May Take Some Months No attempt was made yesterday to move the aeroplane from the reclaimed area, and the Canterbury Aero Club appointed a night watchman to guard it last evening. It will probably be dismantled by ground engineers from the club this morning, and taken • back to the aerodrome. The port wing will have to be rebuilt, and it is likely that a hew leg will have to be obtained from England, so that the machine will be out of the air for some months. The fuselage and the rest of the undercarriage are certain to need some repairs. Suttie, who lives at 35 Park road, has about 120 hours to his credit, and holds an endorsed A licence, which allows him to take up passengers *but not for commercial hire. He has recently sat for his B, or commercial licence, but so far has not heard the result of his examination. The club decided to purchase the aeroplane in July, 1936, and delivery was taken some three or four months later. Its approximate value was given last evening as about £ISOO, but no exact idea of the damage could be gained. It is a cabin machine with side-by-side seating for two persons. Powered with ade Havilland Gipsy engine, it has a top speed of about 150 miles an hour and cruises at 135 miles an hour. It has the low landing speed of 38 miles an hour, and carries sufficient petrol for a range of about 66u miles. , , . It can be fitted with dual control, with the instruments easily available to both occupants. It was made by Phillips and Powis Aircraft, Ltd., Reading, and the type is in general use in England and abroad. At least one other aero club in the Dominion owns one of them, as that belonging to the Wellington club is quite a frequent visitor to Wigram. Shortage of Aeroplanes The Canterbury Aero Club has been short of aeroplanes for some time, and the loss of this machine for some months will be badly felt. Some time ago the club had a fleet of nine aeroplanes at its disposal. Since then the certificate of airworthiness for one of the Moths has been refused, and the Miles Magister trainer was wrecked in a fatal accident at Prebbleton. Less than a month ago one of the other Moths was damaged, when it collided with a man walking across the aerodrome shortly after it had landed. The temporary loss of the Whitney Straight has reduced the fleet to five, and of these the Monospar is likely to be out of the air for some time as it is in Wellington undergoing fairly extensive overhauls before the renewal of its certificate of airworthiness. Training of the club pilots, members of the Civil Reserve of Pilots, and air force trainees is now proceeding on the Miles Hawk and the sole remaining Moth. The other machines are two that are privately owned, but are leased to the club. These are Mr L. Ernie Clark’s Percival Gull, which carries three passengers besides the pilot, and Mr Barnard Owen’s Taylor Cub, a twoseater high-wing monoplane.