CORONER’S COURT Cause Of Plane Crash Not Established

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32011, 11 June 1969, Page 9

CORONER’S COURT Cause Of Plane Crash Not Established

The reason for the failure of the engine of a Piper Cherokee aircraft just after the plane took off from the Kaikoura airstrip could not be conclusively established, the Coroner (Mr A. T. Bell) was told in the Coroner’s Court yesterday afternoon The Coroner found that Leonard Burt Bailey, aged 24. the pilot, Keith Arthur Barlow. aged 21, Paul Edmund Garrett, aged 20, and Robert Leicester Thornley, aged 19, died at Kaikoura on March 29, the cause of death being multiple injuries suffered when a plane crashed just after taking off. John David Ballantine Woods, an accountant, said that on Saturday, March 29, he, his wife, and children were sitting on the beach about four miles and a half south of Kaikoura. About 9.30 a.m. they watched three light aircraft take off from a near by strip. The third aircraft climbed to 150 ft to 200 ft and then the motor cut out The aircraft swung slightly, the nose went down abruptly and it dived, striking the beach about 50 yards from where they were seated. In five to six seconds the plane burst into flames Sergeant Max Morresey said that the four bodies in the plane were badly burnt Constable Gordon Alexander Lithgow produced the report of the chief inspector of air accidents, Mr E. F. Har» vie, which said that the reason for the loss of engine power could not be conclusively established. The accident was caused by a loss of control incurred in a stall in a steep turn after loss of engine power during a climb out at a height which made recovery impossible before the aircraft hit the ground. RACING CRASH Just before a racing car crashed the driver appeared to Be struggling to make a gear change, the Coroner was told. The Coroner found that Brent Hawes, aged 30, died at the Ruapuna race track on April 20, the cause of death being multiple internal injuries, suffered when the car he was driving went out of control. Bruce William Bellis, a constable, said that he was the accident investigator and a committee member of the Can--1 terbury Car Club. Early on the afternoon of Sunday, April 20, Mr Hawes was driving a Begg Corvette 5.7-litre sports cars in a race at Ruapuna Park, Tem- , pieton. During his second lap i of the course Mr Hawes was

electronically timed at 135.1 miles an hour on the main straight. Mr Hawes was well clear of the rest of the field as he went into the braking zone for the hairpin bend. The car did not appear to slow at the usual place, between the 300 yd and 200 yd markers, and at the 100 yd marker he appeared to be struggling in the cockpit. It appeared that either he had missed a gear change or that a mechanical failure had occurred.

The car went into a slide to the left which could have been caused deliberately by the driver in an attempt to reduce speed rapidly, Constable Bellis said. After travelling to the inside of the track the car struck a line of barrier drums on the inside perimeter of the hairpin bend. It then spun twice and travelled to the outside of the bend and struck a grass bank. Mr Hawes was

thrown from the car, which stopped against a higher bank near a line of trees. Mr Hawes landed against the same bank about 15 yards north of the car.

There was no negligence or interference on the part of any other driver. The accident appeared to have been caused by driver error by Mr Hawes missing a gear change. As a result he was too late in braking. There was no evidence to suggest a mechanical failure, said Constable Bellis.

Alan Royce Edwards, aged 19, an apprentice plumber, said that he was a flag marshal at the hairpin bend. When Mr Hawes was about 100 yards from the bend he appeared to stop trying to change gear. William Morton Lightfoot, a service-station manager, who said he was the Canterbury Car Club’s chief scrutineer, said that he examined Mr Hawes’s car on the morning before the race and found that it was in racing condition. The brakes were well up to racing stand* ard.

THROWN FROM CAR Terrance James Chick, aged 29, was found to have died on March 29 on the Main North Road at Amberley, the cause of death being severe head injuries suffered when the car in which he was an occupant rolled over. It was not known who was driving the car at the time. The other occupants of the car were David Frederick Gower and Albert George Buckley. The car was being driven at a very excessive speed at the time of the accident, the Coroner said. CHILD KILLED Robin Patrick Adams, aged six, was found to have died on

March 15 at Teddlngton, the cause of death being severe multiple injuries suffered when a car driven by Mervyn Bartholomew Schenkel rolled over and hit a pole. STRUCK BY CAR Leslie Butler Hewitt, aged 71, was found to have died on April 3 at Darfield. the cause of death being a dislocated neck suffered when he was struck by a car driven by Danied Blackmores Hawea in North Terrace. SUICIDE VERDICTS Ngaire Kathleen Daly, aged 55, was found to have died about April 29 in the waimakariri River bed, having committed suicide, the cause of death being carbon-monoxide poisoning. Allan Kerr Cunningham, aged 63, was found to have died in the Waimakariri River near Sheffield, having committed suicide by drowning.