AIRMAN’S DEATH

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23412, 20 August 1941, Page 8

AIRMAN’S DEATH

EVIDENCE GIVEN AT INQUEST

MACHINE CRASHES AT HALSWELL The death of Albert Maher, an airman pilot, who was killed instantly when an aeroplane he was piloting crashed at Halswell about 10.40 a.m. on June 21 was investigated at an inquest completed yesterday. The Coroner. Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M., returned a verdict that Maher died of extensive injuries to the head and body, sustained when the aircraft he was piloting went out of control and crashed to the ground and was destroyed. Maher was a pupil pilot, aged 22 years, son of Mr Michael Maher, of 34 France street. North-East Valley, Dunedin. He had just taken off from Wigram in an Oxford Airspeed aeroplane on a cross-country flight when the machine crashed about three-quarters of a mile away in a paddock on the property of Mr Michael Murphy, of Halswell.

John Charles Parker, a fitter at Wigram, said that on the evening before the accident he made his daily examination of the aeroplane in which Maher flew. His job was to go over the engine controls and instruments relating to the engine. He also checked the fuel. Everything was in perfect order and he left the machine ready for flying the next morning. His check would cover the succeeding 24 hours, unless something was found to be wrong. He did not have anything to do with the machine on the morning of the accident. Officer’s Evidence Vincent David Gain, a flying officer at Wigram, in evidence additional to that given at an earlier hearing, said that Maher’s flight was authorised by the deputy-flight commander, and witness filled in the flight authorisation book. He had a chat with Maher about his navigation log. Maher had several hours of solo flying to his credit. This was his second crosscountry flight. On the morning of the accident witness had been up in the aeroplane himself with another pilot and had done a dual circuit, after which the other pilot went on a cross-country flight and was away about two hours. Witness found the machine in good order and the other pilot did not report anything wrong with it on his Between the time the other pilot used the machine and the time Maher took off it was completely refuelled. Witness saw. Maher take off and it appeared to be in good running order. He made a good take-off. Alexander Wilson Hogg, a medical officer at Wigram, said that Maher must have died instantly. The injuries were extensive. ' Alexander Harry Dryland, a flight rigger at Wigram, said that before June 21 he had been carrying out a daily Inspection of an Oxford aeroplane, and the last inspection he made of it was on the evening of June 20. It was then in good order. His job was to go. over the air frame and check everything except the engine. He had checked over this machine for at least four days before the crash and each time found it in good order. On the evening of June 20 he took about half an hour, the usual time, to check it over. This would be the last check before the accident. He had nothing to do with it on the morning

of the crash. His check would cover the 24 hours succeeding the hour at which it was made, unless anything was found to be wrong. The Coroner returned his verdict without comment.

A departmental inquiry had already been held.