VAMPIRE JETS’ COLLISION

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27824, 24 November 1955, Page 11

VAMPIRE JETS’ COLLISION

SECTION LEADER’S ACCOUNT EVIDENCE AT INQUEST (New Zealand Press Association) WANGANUI, November 23. The two Vampire jet aircraft which crashed a few miles north of Wanganui yesterday afternoon probably collided at a combined speed of more than 1000 miles an hour, said Flight Lieutenant M. G. Beavis, a Royal Air Force officer from Ohakea, who led the section which included the crashed jets, giving evidence at an inquest in Wanganui today into the death of Pilot Officer Henry Halley Van Paine, aged 22, a member of No. 75 Squadron, Ohakea. The District Coroner (Mr F. Forsythe) adjourned the inquest sine die. Flight Lieutenant Beavis said that about 12.30 p.m. yesterday he was leading a section of four Vampire jet aircraft on a practice interception which was to be held under radar supervision. Pilot Officer Paine was a member of his section. “We were all ready on the ground a* Ohakea, and I received a thumb signal from Pilot Officer Paine indicating that he was ready to take off,’’ Flight Lieutenant Beavis said. “We all took off in formation, and flew in a northerly direction past Wanganui. “About 15 minutes after we had left

Ohakea, during the early stages of the interception, I caught sight of a huge orange billowing flame coming from just behind my aircraft. Pilot Officer Paine was flying his aircraft about 75 yards behind my aircraft, and a check later revealed him missing. It was apparent that he collided with another aircraft piloted by Pilot Officer Peter Brown, who managed to parachute to safety. Part of Pilot Officer Paine’s remains were later found scattered over a wide area.” Flight Lieutenant Beavis added that eight Vampires had been in the air. The interception exercise involved four i planes against another four. i An Air Force Court of Inquiry has I been convened to investigate the acci- ) dent. t