Pilot talks about crash

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32977, 25 July 1972, Page 2

Pilot talks about crash

Ot.l freil Atiocialion) WELLINGTON, July 24. Injured and trapped by a jammed door in the smoke-filled cockpit of his crashed Cherokee aircraft, Mr P. F. McCauley reached for the first-aid kit and escape axe—and remembers no more. He gave this account of the crash to relatives when he regained consciousness in Wellington Hospital at 2.30 a.m. today, it was learned this afternoon. Mr McCauley, of Petone, was in a fairly satisfactory! condition in the hospital tonight. He told relatives that he

regained consciousness to find smoke billowing from the instrument panel. He tried to open the cockpit door, but it was stuck fast. He kicked it, and it stayed jammed closed. Bleeding from the head and having difficulty opening his eyes, he grabbed the firstaid kit and the emergency axe, and the next thing he remembers is being outside the aircraft and noticing it had been swept by a fire. The cockpit was gutted. Mr McCauley told his brother-in-law, Mr C. E. Blumfield, that at this stage he might have lit a cigarette, but his memory is very hazy. His next memory is awakening in the hospital. He told Mr Blumfield that while still airborne he made routine checks, but could not find the cause of the engine trouble which led to the crash. He sent a Mayday call, picked out a gap on top

of a ridge, and came down. The gap between the trees was too small, and he knew one wing must hit. There was nothing he could do but ride it out, he said. He felt the wings hit the trees, and the aircraft drop. The wife and relatives of Mr McCauley today expressed their gratitude for the quick rescue last night.

Mrs Sonya McCauley and Mr Blumfield waited in Lower Hutt while a helicopter flew into the ranges to pick up Mr McCauley. “All we could do was to wait. The police rang, and told us what was going on,” said Mr Blumfield. He said he wanted to express the family’s thanks to all those involved in the rescue.

"He was in pretty bad shape when they found him, and no doubt the use of the helicopter helped in his con-

dition being as hopeful as it is today. “The weather was good, and the helicopter was able to land close to the wreckage, so no time was wasted getting Pat out of the bush. “At Wellington Airport they also gave him priority treatment, with fire engines placed in a circle with their lights on to guide the helicopter in. “We were very impressed and thankful for the efficiency,” said Mr Blumfield. “He regained consciousness eariy this morning, enough to speak briefly to Sonya. He could just make himself understood, but that was a great relief to us—we were scared he was going to be in a coma. “This morning when J spoke to Pat for about half an hour, I could understand what he was saying quite well. He's making good progress,” said Mr Blumfield.