AEROPLANES COLLIDE

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 104, 26 January 1933, Page 9

AEROPLANES COLLIDE

Just Before Taking Off at Auckland TWO SLIGHTLY DAMAGED Dominion Special Service. Auckland, Jan. 25. Two Moth aeroplanes, belonging to the Auckland Aero Club, were damaged as a result of a collision before they took off for Dargaville this morning. Both machines were unoccupied, and the accident occurred when one machine, on being started, swung round violently, and collided with another. Six machines, five Moths belonging to the club, and a privately-owned sports model Avian, were lined up on tbe landing field, preparatory to being flown to Dargaville to take part in the official opening celebrations of the Dargaville Aero. Club. Pilots and passengers were not in the machines which were being warmed up for flight by the ground engineer, Mr. F. A. N. North.

On approaching the metal machine, which was alongside the blue Moth, North made sure that the throttle lever was in the closed position, and then switched on, and swung the propeller. Although the throttle lever was in the correct position, however, the control had evidently jammed, as the machine commenced to move forward as soon as the engine fired. Mr. North, who was standing directly in front of the fast revolving airscrew, jumped quickly out of the way and seized one wing tip to prevent the machine from running away and colliding violently with the fence, where it would almost certainly have been wrecked.

Unfortunately the ground engineer could not reach the switches to stop the engine, and the machine swung round with great violence, the wing just grazing Mr. North’s head and inflicting a slight scratch on one ear. Both machines were damaged, but not seriously. Immediately the machines were locked together, Mr. North was able to switch off the engine of the metal machine.