Motor-cyclist hits plane

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33532, 13 May 1974, Page 1

Motor-cyclist hits plane

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, May 12.

Security measures at Wellington Airport will be reviewed after a motorcycle was driven into a stationary aircraft at the airport this morning.

The airport manager, Mr J. W. Redstone, said that as a result of the incident he would be looking into the security arrangements at the airport.

None of the 106 people aboard the aircraft, which had just touched down from Auckland, nor the motorcyclist himself, was injured. “It appears the motorcyclist slipped through our security people,” Mr Redstone said. "There are a number of entrances that provide easy access to the tarmac,” Mr Redstone said. “It would be extremely difficult to put a man at every gate.” He said that having men opening and closing gates would slow airport operations, and besides, “you need to have trust in people to a degree.” However, he said, it would have been as easy for a car or truck to get out on to the tarmac as it was for the motor-cyclist. An N.A.C. official. Mr A. G. Feslier, said that the Boeing 737 aircraft had only just touched down after arriving from Auckland, when the motor-cyclist appeared on the tarmac. The aircraft was in the process of taxi-ing to the terminal at the southern end of the airport and turned on to the taxi-way to do so. “The pilot had landing lights on and when he saw the motor-cyclist approaching from the opposite end of the taxi-way he switched motors off and stopped the aircraft,” Mr Feslier said. “But the motor-cycle came on at a slowish pace and

struck the stationary aircraft in the nose-wheel area.” The aircraft was delayed for 30 minutes while a check was made. All that could be found was some superficial paint damage and the aircraft was allowed to continue down to Christchurch.

“There may be a link between the two but we have been unable to find one,” the spokesman said.

A spokesman for the Wellington Central Police said that the motor-cyclist, although “detained,” had not been arrested and would not be charged. “We’ve been talking to him but he won’t be appearing before any magistrates,” the spokesman said. He said that a news bulletin from a Wellington radio station, connecting the incident with a caller to the station on Saturday night, appeared to be unfounded. The radio station reported that a man had made several phone calls, stating that he wanted to fly to the United States to see President Nixon.