Plane focus of earlier probe

Press, 7 September 1989, Page 6

Plane focus of earlier probe

PA Invercargill A Piper Cherokee fixed-wing aircraft which crashed in Fiordland yesterday was the focus of an investigation by the Office of Air Accidents-Investi-gation earlier this year. Neither the pilot, Mr David Latham of Invercargill, nor any of his three passengers, was injured when the aircraft crashed at Spit Island, about Bkm north of the Puysegur Point lighthouse at 11.15 a.m. The Cherokee was caught by a downdraught just after take-off, about 16m up, Mr Latham said. It was the second accident this year involving the aircraft. At 6 a.m. on January 4, the aircraft was substantially damaged during take-off from Riverton. The three passengers on yesterday’s short-lived flight, destined for Invercargill, were Mr Jack Vallance, aged 54, a retired automotive engineer, of Christchurch; his son Francis, aged 28, a Telecom serviceman, also of Christchurch, and Mr Greg Reid, aged 27, a teacher, of Lower Hutt. The trio was returning from a week-long diving expedition in the Preservation Inlet area. Mr Latham had successfully completed an earlier return trip to Tuatapere with some of the party’s gear. The aircraft was largely intact after it hit the water, he said. An exception was a wheel which Mr Latham later used to carry himself back to shore. The aircraft was “bobbing up and down” as he searched for lifejackets. Mr Latham said he found lifejackets for the Vallances but rising water prevented him from going back for more. Mr Reid described himself as “a strong swimmer” and said he managed without a lifejacket, although he normally wore one. By the time they reached shore, the aircraft had sunk, Mr Latham said. Although the passengers did lose material possessions, Mr Vallance said they were grateful to still be alive and together. “There is a lot to be said for landing in water ... had we landed in rocks or trees, it could have been much worse.”