WAIROA TRAGEDY

Grey River Argus, 9 February 1931, Page 2

WAIROA TRAGEDY

THREE KILLED In Aeroplane’s Crash (Press Extraordinary.) WAIROA, February 8. A monoplane, Hying fi'om Gisborne to Hastings, crashed at Wairoa to-day. The pilot was Lieut. Eighty I here were also two passengers. W. I*’. Bake’.', of Gisborne, and W. C. Strand, el Lower Hutt. All three were killed.

FURTHER DETAILS. GISBORNE. February 8. I Disaster after disaster follows in I the Wairoa district, the latest occurring shortly after noon to-day, when a Dominion Airways monoplane crashed , within a mile of the town, three persons being killed. The victims were • Flight Lieutenant Kight, solicitor, ot Danncvirke, Director of Dominion Air- • ways; Walter Findlay, a well-known I business man of Gisborne, where he .GWiiß a large bakery and caterer’s busi- |

ness, and W. C. Shand. whose address is said to be Brunswick Street, Lower Hutt, who was the representative of A. S. Paterson, Ltd., and sou of the Mayor of Lower Hutt. The plane left Gisborne at L 3 o’clock, with instructions to drop at Wairoa a bag contaiaTnw telegrams. From what can be gathered at present, the plane dropped the bag and rose again. It then banked and the engine stalled and the machine nose-dived into the side of the roau I near a Public Works camp, one mile [from Wairoa bridge. I Wlien the spectators reached the spot, the plane was found completely I turned over with its nose buried deep in the ground. Men worked feverish- I ly in breaking a portion of the right wing to get to the occupants. It was I found. however, that it was too late to! .render assistance. The victims were i killed outright, but one, whose name. lis unknown, was breathing', but died: Iwithin a few minutes. The crowd w;is ( kept back, and a cordon was formed, I pending the arrival of the police. I The chip’s doctor on the Northum I. iberland, who had been marooned here |since the liner came here on its wild goose chase in response to an exag-1 {derated message that the 4 ‘ sufferers j needed help.’’ also arrived, but could, 'do nothing. The bodies were removed |to the Public Works Department • I stores. * The plane was a monoplane, a De- I 'souter cabined machine, registered ’ , “ Z.K.A.C.A.. ” ami arrived in Gisborne i from Hastings about midday to-day, a ji. l departed for Hastings about 12.45 . p.m. The same machine, piloted by (’apt. Bolt, has performed excellent service in maintaining communication! between Gisborne and outside since the quake, (apt. Bolt was only relieved from his duties today, and Lieut. Kight 1 took over the day’s trip. It had been . intended to return to Gisborne with ‘ mail matter later in the afternoon. On t the arrival of the machine on Saturday, ; (’apt. Bolt said he had never had nl j worse trip, bumping occurring all the way, ami he went to the length of ■ strapping himself in for the return trip’ . to 1 hi* tings on Saturday. Mr Findlay was a very popular business ma‘.i of the town. lie had been | ~ in Napier attending to business inter-1 I ests there, and only returned to Gis-1 r be rue on Saturday ngiht, and left again I ’ today about 1.15 p.m. for the devas-| tated area to make arrangements for j t break supplies. He. is survived by a| widow andwo sons.

KIGHT’S DEATH. I)A NN EVIRKE, February 8. Word has been received here that , Ivan L. Kight, with two passengers, .crashed in a plane at Wairoa, and ail I were killed. Kight was a well-known .Danncvirke lawyer, and was associated (with Hood and .Moncrief! in the ill .fated Tasman flight.

FURTHER DETAILS.

WAIROA. February 8. An aeroplane,- piloted, by Mr . C.' Strand. of Lower t .anden t rying 1 Messrs W. Findlay Baker, of Gisborne | ami Kight, of Danncvirke, after drop- | ping a parcel of mail appeared to de . velop engine trouble. It came a tei rifle crash in the railway yards at. Norin, Clvde, near the goods shed. The ma- I chine was smashed to pieces. All three were killed. Two of them were killed] instantly. One breathed h's last a few minute! afterwards. . The bodies were, removed tn the station. They were almost unrecuguis I able.