Brought Plane Down Safely

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30795, 6 July 1965, Page 6

Brought Plane Down Safely

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 5. A 17-year-old Scots College boy glided a Piper Cherokee aircraft two miles over the sea to a safe forced landing on Waikanae beach on Saturday. He had only 40ft of height to spare—-representing about 100 yards of gliding distance —when he reached the beach. Today the youth chose to remain anonymous. He has been flying about four or five months and has logged 38 hours’ flying time, about 23 of them solo. Today he is flying again. His parents said he is interested in aviation as a career, either as an engineer or as a pilot Mr R. M. Sinclair, of the Sinclair Flying School, Paraparaumu, which operates the

Cherokee, praised his pupil’s clear thinking under an emergency and said the forced landing had been handled with professional skill. -' The engine cut out at 3500 ft when the aircraft was about two miles out to sea. The likely cause was carburettor icing, Mr Sinclair said. Immediately the engine stopped and could not be restarted the pilot gave a “May Day” call, notified his position to the air controller at Paraparaumu airport, and advised of his intentton to glide in to Waikanae Beach. WeMington’s Air-Sea Rescue was alerted from Paraparaumu, Ohakea’s standby emergency crews were mobilised, the Paraparaumu airport crash crew headed for Waikanae and a fast, light boat was despatched from Paraparaumu., Meanwhile the youth put the Cherokee into its most economical glide and headed for. the nearest section of coast.

i As the aircraft crossed the i tide line the pilot barely had > height to turn tor a landing i approach. He set down on soft I sand above the high-tide mark, swerved to dodge a log, : touched one wing on the sand i causing very minor damage, . and roiled to a stop. Within five minutes of the . “May Day” message, the 1 emergency was called off. At Ohakea planes were being . prepared to take off. The light boat from Para-

paraumu had already set off and could not be recalled. Shortly after the touchdown, Mr Sinclair was at the scene. He inspected the aircraft, found the engine fault had cleared itself, and flew the aircraft to Paraparaumu. Today, Mr Sinclair said the emergency had, among other things, proved to pilots that the emergency rescue system was capable of swinging into action within minutes of' a “May Day” call. Tit was heartening knowledge.