Two Men Killed In Plane Crash

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31659, 20 April 1968, Page 1

Two Men Killed In Plane Crash

Two men were killed and a third was seriously injured when a Canterbury Aero Club Cherokee aircraft crashed in the Lees Valley area about 1.50 p.m. yesterday.

One of the dead was MICHAEL BRENT GLANVILLE, aged 19, of 22 Gleneagles Terrace. The other was an instructor in the aircraft, and the man seriously injured is Mr A. V. Bond, of 156 Canon Street. He was a passenger. Mr Glanville, who was taking flying instruction, was a second-year law student at Canterbury University. He was educated at Cathedral Grammar School and Christ’s College, where he was a house prefect In Julius House. He took up flying soon after leaving school. Another aircraft in the area saw the plane crash and smoke rise from it. A Royal New Zealand Air Force Devon from Wigram base was sent over the site of the crash and plotted the position of the aircraft. It lies in the bed of Oxford Creek in precipitous country about four miles from Oxford, a mile and a half from the Middle bridge over the Ashley River and about 90 minutes walk from the bridge. Eight men from Oxford were the first to move into the area. They reached the aircraft at 5 p.m. A second party, which included Dr M. R. Mowatt and Sergeant E. J. Niven, left Christchurch at 4 p.m. and arrived at 6.15 p.m. Dr Mowatt confirmed that Mr Bond had serious spinal injuries and burns. The Oxford party on its way to the crashed plane lost radio communication with the rescue control centre and, at one stage the Devon, had

to direct the party by flying manoeuvres. The second party, on linking with the Oxford party, re-established the radio link. In the meantime the Devon, because of the failing light and the bad radio conditions, had returned to Wigram. A 40-man carrying party in two Army trucks left for the area shortly after 5 p.m. The party included members of mountain clubs from Christchurch, and was joined by others from Rangiora and Oxford. They met the Oxford party about 8:30 p.m. Pilots over the crash site had described the area as inaccessible to a helicopter. However, because of Mr Bond’s condition it/ was decided to call i/a an R.N.Z.A.F. helicopter from Hobsonville and to move Mr Bond to a spot accessible to it. The helicopter left Auckland to fly down in the darkness so as to be in the area to lift Mr Bond at first light. However, in spite of the rain and cold, the carrying party made good time, and at 9 p.m. the helicopter, then in the New Plymouth area, was turned back to Auckland. The carrying party reached the road about 11.30 p.m. and Mr Bond was brought to the Christchurch Hospital by ambulance. The search controller (Mr W. G. Croll, of Christchurch), who went to the scene of the crash, said that the area was rough and there were several tricky river crossings. The crossing of the Ashley River was most difficult. Constable E. G. Smith, of Rangiora, said that the aircraft crashed into the side of a gully and caught fire. The undercarriage was hanging from a 30ft birch tree nearby. Though the plane was extensively damaged the wreckage had fallen in a confined area. Mr Bond was apparently thrown clear in the crash.

Sergeant W. Watson, of Rangiora, said that a police road-block would be set up at the Middle bridge base camp to stop would-be sightseers from going near the wreckage. Some of the ground party remained at the Middle bridge for the night and will return to the aircraft to recover the two bodies today. A Lees Valley resident, Mr Nigel Duckworth, saw a column of smoke as he drove to Oxford yesterday afternoon, but ignored it. After his return home he was asked whether be had seen anything of the crash, and it was then that he realised what had caused the smoke. Mr Duckworth was picked up by a club aircraft from an airstrip in the valley, and after flying over the crashed plane returned to the Lees Valley strip in time to join the first of the ground parties.