Pilot Fined After Big Bay Accident

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30168, 27 June 1963, Page 19

Pilot Fined After Big Bay Accident

(New Zealand Press Association)

INVERCARGILL. June 26. A Cessna topdressing plane, owned by Hewett Aviation. Ltd., and piloted by Charles William Hewett, crashed into a log at Big Bay last September during an attempted take-off in conditions which were unsuitable for living, Mr J. K. Patterson, S.M., was told in the Magistrate's Court at Invercargill today. No-one was injured, but three of the four passengers were seated, without proper safety belts, on cushions situated behind the plane’s hopper. Hewett today pleaded guilty to charges of flying an aircraft so as to cause avoidable danger to passengers: carrying passengers in a part of the aircraft not designed for that purpose; modifying an aircraft without authority; and installing seat belts not meeting the requirements of regulations. Hewett was fined £lO on each charge. Mr J. R. Mills appeared for the Civil Aviation Administration; Hewett was represented by Mr J. Russell. Mr Mills said on September 1 last year Hewett, the holder of a commercial pilot’s licence, flew from Mossburn in a Cessna aircraft, owned by Hewett Aviation, Ltd., to Big Bay.

The plane, fitted with a topdressing hopper, carried a certificate of airworthiness which permitted the pilot to carry one passenger in a seat beside the pilot Hewett landed the plane on the beach in the bay in conditions "which were unsuitable for flying.’’ he said. The sea was rough and a 20 mile-an-hour cross-wind was blowing Mr Mills said Hewett had made no inquiries into conditions in that area. When Hewett landed two men—a Mr McMillan and a Mr Lamont — and two boys alighted. An hour was spent at the bay

with some whitebaiters. The five returned to the Cessna. During the take-off the cross-wind caught the plane as Hewett veered to avoid a wave and the aircraft hit a big log lying on the beach.

The certificate of airworthiness allowed a plane to take off in a 10 mile-an-hour wind. No-one was injured as a result of the crash. But Hewett and the passengers had to snend the night at the bay. They were flown out the next day in one of the company’s planes.

Hewett and another man had been sitting in the cockpit. The third man and the two boys had been seated, without proper safety belts, on cushions behind the hopper. No handle was attached

to the inside of the door, said Mr Mills, and it would have been difficult for the passengers to get out of the aircraft had it burst into flames. As a result of the crash, the incident was reported to the Director of Aviation, who cancelled Hewetts commercial pilot’s licence. His decision was appealed against by Hewett, but was dismissed Mr Russell said the financial loss of the company, which fell principally on Hewett, had been £l6OO as a result of the cancellation. The Director of Aviation had rdlied on the alleged breaches of the regulations in acting the way he did. fa id Mr Russell. Hewett had at all times denied these breaches. Hewett had done about 10.000 hours’ aerial work, flying at low’ levels, and he was considered one of the most .experienced topdressing pilots ■in New Zealand, said Mr : Russell.