FAITH IN AUSTRALIA

Evening Star, Issue 21632, 30 January 1934, Page 5

FAITH IN AUSTRALIA

MISHAP ON MURIWAI BEACH MACHINE TIPPED ON NOSE ’ [Per United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, January 29. TIIO monoplane Faith in Australia received slight damage when it swerved to avoid a motor car in taking oft' on the Muriwai Beach this afternoon, but none of the occupants was injured.'The machine was taxi-ing along the beach from north to south preparatory to taking off on a passenger flight, and had gone a few hundred yards when a car was seen coming from the opposite direction. The pilot, G. U. Allen, was forced to turn sharply to avoid it. He shut off his engine and swerved to the right into the soft sand above highwater mark, but the wheels sank to the axle, and after ploughing its way for a few yards the machine tipped on its nose, burying the front propeller in the sand. The,propeller was splintered. The monoplane arrived at the beach earlier in the afternoon, and was on its third flight when the mishap occurred. There were fourteen passengers, among whom were several ladies and a boy about nine years old. When the aeroplane was tipped on its nose the door, which is just at the rear of the wing, was left about eight or ten feet above the ground, and the passengers were temporarily marooned until a rope was thrown up. The men wore then able to slide down, but some difficulty was experienced in inducing the, ladies to follow their example. Eventually a bus was obtained and backed up to the door, and they were able to clamber down from the roof. The machine was pushed to high-water mark, where it was left for the night.