New Zealand’s First Fatal Air Crash

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31902, 1 February 1969, Page 5

New Zealand’s First Fatal Air Crash

(Specially written for “The

■ optLlUllf/ Press” by

D. P. WOODHALL)

If anyone in Christ- • church, hearing an aeroplane, had looked 1 skywards during late January, 1919, the chances are that he would have seen one of the few flights of a biplane entirely designed and built at the Canterbury (N.Z.) Aviation Company, Ltd, workshops at Sockburn. This little aeroplane, strongly reminiscent of a Sopwith Tabloid, was designed by the company's chief instructor, Mr Cecil M. Hill, and his engineer, Mr J. G. Mackie, who also assisted with its construction. The working drawings for this unnamed biplane were chalked out on the wall of one of the early Sockburn hangars, and these drawings must have been quite satisfactory as the biplane performed well enough. The first public mention of the new aeroplane was on December 26, 1918, on the occasion of the first post-war open day at Sockburn. Visitors were able to look at the aircraft in the workshop, and at that time its construction was well advanced. Asli And Cedar The biplane was rolled out of its hangar on January 17, 1919, and was seen to be a two-seater, powered by a 80 horsepower Anzani radial motor. Its wing span was 23ft 6in, its length 20ft, and :its wing area 220 sq. ft. Fully, loaded it weighed 5001 b and with both pilot and passen-j • ger aboard it could still carry 2001 b of petrol. Main spars! •were of ash, the wing struts, made of cedar and the braci ing wires were encased in cedar streamlines. Ailerons were fitted (in marked contrast with Caudron’s wingwarping) and the aeroplane, according to the "Lyttelton Times," was “produced with [ little or no effort." I Mr Hill made the first solo test flight in the biplane on, •January 17 and found that) it had a good rate of climb I and was light on the controls. It had a good gliding angle, and he thought it would be suitable for aerobatics. Upon landing Mr Hill praised Mr Mackie’s work in glowing terms, and said that he had never before tested an aero- | plane in which everything was so satisfactory. The only alteration he recommended was a small modification to the control circuits to enable the aeroplane to be flown i hands-off in level flight. The Canterbury Aviation Company then laid plans fori a flying tour to Invercargill, I using the biplane with Mr| Hill as pilot, and offering to

’ I carry passengers between one, f centre and another, and to I t give demonstrations at each : | place visited. !| Mr Hill and Mr C. W. Her-, : I vey, the company’s secretary, -1 left for Invercargill by car I on January 20 to map out the tour and to offer complimen- [ tary flights to the mayors of the places concerned. Mr Hill was very pleased with Inver- ’ cargill as a flying centre and ! i he said that the time was 11 close at hand when farmers j would fly their own aircraft 11 provided that the safety and )• stability of aeroplanes was ’' impressed upon them. • Unfortunately the southern, •tour never took place as the i biplane was completely ■wrecked and Mr Hill killed • on February 1, 1919. It had been the custom for an aeroplane of the Canterbury Aviation Company to make a flight over the racecourses at Addington and Riccarton on • race days, and Mr Hill had been requested to fly over the Riccarton meeting on Febru-, ary 1. He took off from Sock-1 burn just after 3 p.m. and I arrived over the racecourse | • just as the Lyttelton Plate was being run. He circled twice and then flew low over I [ i the course where he was' • cheered by the crowd as he '•went past. Wings Collapsed Mr Hill waved, and then '•circled again to gain height. ' | Another wide sweep was I made at 2000 ft and then the i| aeroplane disappeared into ■ cloud. On his reappearance, i > he dived swiftly and then came over in a loop, but it II was apparent that the aero•j plane was having some difficulty in getting over the top. A second dive was made, this i time toward the crowd, and

•|as the biplane climbed into (•its second loop, a distinct i crack was heard and the port wings collapsed. Mr Hill •■tried to hold the aeroplane , i straight, but this became •limpossible and the biplane ( disappeared from sight behind -[a belt of trees. f When members of the pubI lie arrived at the scene of ■ the crash. Mr Hill was dead I and the aeroplane completely >• wrecked. At the subsequent 51 inquest and investigation it t 1 was found that a flying wire I had broken, and this in turn > I had caused the other flying wire to break. The main i ispars had then cracked and ( the whole port wing assembly' ’ had folded up. I I Piano Wire Used ,| It was said that ordinary ! piano wire had been used for • the flying wires, instead of ' the more usual cable. I The Coroner mentioned , that the aeroplane had been . built under the personal [supervision of Mr Hill, who • was a competent mechanic , and had expressed himself , satisfied with the machine. [ Mr Hill’s was the first fatal . aeroplane crash in New Zea- . land. [• His death came as a great blow to the company which, because of the end of the war, was suffering a recession, no more pupils coming forward i to be taught to fly. Mr Hill had been appointed 51 chief instructor in 1917 and ! under his leadership 182 > pupils qualified for service , i with the Royal Flying Corps i and Royal Air Force. He was t a first-class instructor, well - i liked by the pupils and the -[company, and had he lived. . [ his name would no doubt i have been recorded as one of Lour foremost pioneer pilots.