PLANE CRASH AT OXFORD

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28979, 21 August 1959, Page 12

PLANE CRASH AT OXFORD

Army Pilots Both Safe

Two Army officers escaped injury when the Auster aircraft in which they were doing flight training crashed in rough bush country west of Oxford yesterday morning. The area at the head of the Eyre river is where the Army has its jungle warfare course. The pilots. Lieutenants C. W. Brown -and R. H. Andrews, both of the Royal New Zealand Artillery, followed the river down from the scene of the crash 2500 feet above sea level, and were met about an hour and threequarters after they began their walk by Major T. Wilson, the Army officer in command of the exercises in the area. The two officers, who are due to graduate next month from a course at the Royal New Zealand Air Force Station, Wigram. for aerial spotters for the artillery, were taking aerial photographs when the crash occurred Their plane and another had been working from a strip near the headwaters of the Eyre for two days. Seen From Air The Auster crashed about 9.35 a.m.. 10 minutes after take-off. When it became overdue, the other Auster took off from tne airstrip and spotted the crashed plane. A Harvard from Wigram also took part in a search from the air. The two men were seen to be walking away from the plane, and Major Wilson left the base camp with a party. The two officers were met about 12 45 p.in. and shortly after were joined by an Army Medica. Corps team, and a doctor who confirmed that both men were fit. the major injury being one bruised nose. They continued back to the base camp, and later in the day both officers flew again. It could not be ascertained yesterday how badly the aircraft, which was reported to be on its back m the bush, was damaged but a technical squad will go to the scene of the accident within the next few days to assess the damage.