Studholme air crash

Press, 24 August 1977, Page 1

Studholme air crash

PA Timaru A man and two boys had a lucky escape when their light plane crashed at Studholme. near Waimate, yesterday. Wreckage from the plane, a Canterbury Aero Club Piper Cherokee, was spread over about 200 metres. The pilot, Mr Graham Jackson, an Australian living in Christchurch, escaped with a broken ankle, and his passengers, two Christchurch boys, Stephen Grenfell, aged 12, and Dean Grenfell, aged eight, with a broken knee, and head injuries. The plane was en route from Timaru to Waimate about 1.55 p.m. when it crashed on a flat paddock on the property of Mr P. W. Hayman, at Studholme. Onlookers said that the plane appeared to encounter thick fog at a time when the cloud ceiling was only about 70 metres. The plane was heard to fly south down the coast some minutes before the accident, then change direction and fly north. It changed direction again to the south, and while flying south made a steep dive and crashed. The plane left Christchurch at 8.30 a.m. and intended flying to Waimate via Timaru. It is believed

that the two boys were being flown to visit their uncle at Willowbridge, near Waimate, for the school holidays.

The Inspector of Air Accidents will fly from Wellington to inspect the scene of the crash today.

In the meantime, the police have sealed off the area to the public. Aero club officials will also inspect the wreckage of the $38,000 aircraft this morning, to see whether it is repairable, according to the president of the Canterbury Aero Club (Mr G. G. Berryman). The three occupants had suffered relatively minor injuries, and he thought the aircraft might not be too badly damaged. The four-seater, 180 h.p. plane is fully insured.

The Canterbury Aero Club was the biggest flying club in New Zealand with 17 aircraft, said Mr Berryman, and the loss of the Piper Cherokee would not affect activities. It was one of several aircraft used for crosscountry flying. A replacement aircraft could be bought quickly if the plane was written off, said Mr Berryman. If it was repairable another aircraft could be hired while repairs were done.