PILOT’S ESCAPE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20632, 13 August 1941, Page 6

PILOT’S ESCAPE

CRASH INTO HILLS WRECKAGE STREWN WIDE FLYER SLIGHTLY CUT (Per Press Association.) 'CHRISTCHURCH, this day. A remarkable escape was made by the pilot of an aircraft from Wigram, after it crashed and burst into flames in Bowenvale, Valley, Cashmere, about 10 o’clock last night. Pieces of the machine, which was on night flying practice, were scattered over about 200yds. oi hillside about half a mile from Sanatorium road, above the end of Bowenvale avenue. ' Under low cloud and rain, the aii - craft was seen just before the crash by residents nearby flying towards the valley. A few seconds after the crash tl:e whole valley was lit up by the flames which were still burning nearly two hours afterwards. Two fire engines and an ambulance were sent and the fire and ambulance parties scrambled over steep, slippery slopes towards the glow of the fire. In the meantime, the pilot, having walked away with nothing worse than a slight cut on the head, had been met by members of the Christchurch Fire Brigade. Mr. G. Knowles, of Bowenvale, was the first on the scene about 15 minutes after. “He asked me, ‘how do I get out of here?’” said Mr. Knowles. “1 asked him who he was, and he said he was the pilot. I told him he was the luckiest man I had met,” Describing the crash, Mr, Knowles said that he was at his glasshouses in the valley when he saw an aeroplane flying directly up the valley. Its navigation lights were burning. "I saw him head directly up thl- - he declared. He said that from the scattering of the wreckage, it appeared that the machine had flown some way up the valley and then turned, as the trail o: wreckage pointed back towards the city.