FLYING BLIND

Evening Star, Issue 22882, 14 February 1938, Page 1

FLYING BLIND

PILOT IN THUNDERSTORM PLANE DAMAGED IN FOGGED LANDING [Pee United Press Association.] DANNEVIRKE, February 12. When on his first cross-country flight, the route being from Masterton to Dannevirke, J. E. Crisp, a pilot, residing at the former place, had an unenviable experience. When he left Masterton in NEACD about 2.20 on Saturday afternoon the weather was fine, and everything went well until the pilot realised that he had overshot Dannevirke, being then some distance to the north of the town. Soon after he turned he ran into a heavy thunderstorm, which had been in progress’ for some time. Visibility became very bad, the pilot lost direction, and for about half an hour, so it seemed to hinr, he was flying over hilly, country to the east of Dannevirke, the plane being frequently in valleys. Hills would suddenly loom, and the plane would have to be swiftly piloted round or over them. •

Eventually sighting a vacant pad-* dock in the Waitahora Valley, Crisp made a forced landing near the school,’ and in. doing so crashed into a fence, which capsized the plane, and it finished up on - the hillside, with the pilot still seated therein. Crisp , fortunately escaped serious injury, abrasions on the forehead being the] only wound, but the machine i was considerably damaged.