FIVE KILLED IN PLANE CRASH

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27051, 28 May 1953, Page 10

FIVE KILLED IN PLANE CRASH

R.N.Z.A.F. Bristol Freighter Strikes Hill COMMANDER AT WHENUAPAI AMONG DEAD (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 27. All five occupants of a Bristol Freighter of the Royal New Zealand Air Force were killed when the plane crashed near Blenheim this morning. They were:— Group Captain Richard Webb, D. 5.0., D.F.C., aged 41, Commanding Officer of the Royal New Zealand Air Force station, Whenuapai. His wife is Mrs F. E. M. Webb, of Whenuapai. Flight Lieutenant J. A. Brookes, aged 29, pilot and captain of the aircraft. His mother is Mrs B. Mugridge, of Huia road, Birkdale, Auckland. Sergeant J. B. Collins, aged 25, the navigator. His father is Mr B. B. Collins, of Waikuku, North Canterbury.

Sergeant T. P. Dean, aged 27, the signaller, of Portsmouth, England.

Flight Sergeant P. G. Deibert, 8.E.M., aged 41, a safety equipment worker. His wife is Mrs M. J. M. Deibert, of Hobsonville.

The Bristol Freighter flew from Whenuapai to Woodbourne yesterday, and was returning to Whenuapai in thick weather when it crashed in the Wither hills about seven miles south-east of Blenheim. The plane struck just below the peak of a 1500 ft hill.

According to the Air Rescue Organisation reports, the aircraft left Woodbourne at 8.53 a.m. Group Captain Webb, who yesterday had addressed Royal New Zealand Air Force boy entrants at the Woodbourne Training School, was nominally a passenger, but was acting as co-pilot.

' A light rain had reduced visibility over the airfield to two and a half miles, occasionally extending to six. The plane laid course for the Blenheim radio beacon, four miles due •ast of Blenheim at the mouth of the

Wairau river. When the Freighter failed to appear at the radio beacon at 9 a.m. signals were sent out to it on all wave lengths, but no reply was received.

A 60-knot south-easterly wind was blowing at the time. Twenty minutes later reports were received from two farmers at points about five miles from Blenheim. Both had heard an aircraft, and at 10.40 a.m. the Commanding Officer of the Woodbourne Boy Entrants’ School (Squadron Leader R. A. Manners, M.8.E.) set out in the station’s only aircraft, a Harvard, to look for the Freighter. He sighted the wreckage at 115 a.m. A ground party left Woodbourne immediately. It comprised members of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Mountain Rescue Organisation, a wireless party, an ambulance group, and Constables W. K. Eagan and F. Pearce, of Blenheim. Two bodies were brought out to the road about 3 pun., and the others about two hours later. The Blenheim police said tonight that the wreckage of the Bristol Freighter was scattered over 50 acres. Only the nose and tail units remained.

Three bodies were found in the nose, which had fallen into a gully 50 yards away. One body had been thrown clear of the wreckage on to a ridge 400 yards away. The Inspector of Aircraft Accidents (Mr R. C. Kean) arrived at Blenheim late this afternoon, and tomorrow morning he will visit the scene of the crash. r

A service inquiry into the cause of the crash would be held as early as possible, said the Minister of Defence (Mr T. L. Macdonald) this afternoon. On behalf of the Government the Minister has expressed sympathy to the relatives of the five airmen. In a tribute to Group Captain Webb, Mr Macdonald said he had known him personally. He had been a fine officer and had done an excellent job in charge at Whenuapai. Group Captain Webb assumed command at Whenuapai in April. 1952. He joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1939 and served in Europe with No. 485 (New Zealand) Squadron. After commanding a Spitfire unit in the Middle East, he became chief test pilot for the Royal Air Force at Shaibah, Iraq, In Malta and Italy in 1943-44 he commanded 1435 Squadron and was Wing Commander (Flying) at the headquarters of 323 Wing in Italy in 1944. He won his Distinguished Service Order and Distinguished Flying Cross that year. He was also mentioned in dispatches After attending the R.A.F. Staff College, he took command of R.N.Z.A.F. units in Fiji. He was then posted as Deputy Director of Organisation and Staff Duties until he took command at Whenuapai. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Flight Lieutenant Brookes had had considerable experience in Bristol Freighters. He ferried one of these aircraft from Britain to New Zealand several years ago, and was subsequently employed as an instructor in the craft. Flight Lieutenant Brookes was commissioned in 1942. He served overseas during the war. He flew with the Bomber Command in Europe, and while in the Pacific flew Venturas. Since the war he had been with No. 41 (Transport) Squadron. Flight Sergeant Deibert was born at Christchurch, and was educated at the West Christchurch District High School. Before joining the Air Force in 1937 he was a qualified furrier. During the war he served in Norfolk Island and Fiji, where he was in charge of the safety equipment section. While serving in Fiji he was awarded the British Empire Medal. After the war he returned to Hobsonville. Lately he was training 18-year-old recruits at Hobsonville on “aircraft finishing.” On May 11 he was transferred to Woodbourne

He represented a Not th Island Air Force team at hockey, and also the station at cricket He is survived by his wife and two children.