WOMAN CRASHES

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 32, 7 February 1930, Page 15

WOMAN CRASHES

ACCIDENT AT SOCKBURN

ESCAPE PROM INJURY

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.")

CIIRISTCHURCII, This Day

Tho first woman pilot in New Zealand" to go solo, Miss Aroha Clifford, a member of tho Canterbury Aero Club, had a narrow escape from serious injury yesterday afternoon when the aeroplane she was flying crashed when landing at Wigram Aerodrome. She escaped with a few minor scratches aml bruisos, extensive damage, liowt ever, being sustained by tlie machine. Miss Clifford had been flying a good deal during the afternoon, making a flight in the new Simmomls Spartan machine which has just been assembled at Soekburn. At about 3.30 p.m., when she was making a practice landing in an Aero Club Moth, she glided' down, on to the landing ground. A sudden gust of wind caught the aeroplane and swung it almost completely round, it being slewed towards a gorse fence. Miss Clifford attempted to restart her engine, but tlie timo and space available were not sufficient and tho machine struck the hedge and was turned over.

The damage to the aeroplane consisted of smashed wings (the result of tho inacliino turning over), a smashed propeller, and a broken front portion of the fuselage, while the undercarriage was badly twisted and broken. The engine was broken away, but was not greatly damaged. Miss Clifford made another flight later in the day, showing that her injuries were happily not serious. She is one of the Canterbury Aero Club's most experienced members, aud has done extensive flying during the last few months. She was the first woman pupil of any aero club in New Zealand to gnin her pilot's certificate, and was the first to fly solo. She was also the first woman pilot of a New Zealand aero club to carry a passenger. This she did on 22nd January of this.year, her passenger being Mrs. ,R. W. 'Norman. Forty hours' solo flying is _ the time necessary before a pilot-is entitled to fly with a passenger. Miss Clifford was one of the first two pupils of the Canterbury Aero Club to qualify as a pilot, i gaining her "ticket" on sth August last. The aeroplane involved in the accident was a fellow to that which crashed last October, and, tho damage sustained was of n somewhat similar nature. _^