AIR TRAGEDY AVERTED

Grey River Argus, 4 May 1936, Page 5

AIR TRAGEDY AVERTED

BY HAIR’S BREADTH

Mt. Cook ’Drome Stunt

PLANE HITS MOTOR CAR-

TWO I’R'ESS-MEN HURT.

(Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 3. Flving-Offii-er F. Truman landed Ain Force Awo aeroplane at Wjgraiu Aerodrome this afternoon without oue of it,-; landing wheels, and wi,tli_ out. -part of Ill’s left tail plane. These he had. Lpst at flio new aerodrome at .Ml. Cook, where he had been present at the official opening to-day. Trumau brought hi, ; maebiiq. down otherwise uiu\i.uiagAl. aml Illis passenger and himself were unlniri. It was a very skilful feat' of living.

The wheel and tail plane were lost, in a inisKap nt Mt. Cook, in which two other men (pressmen) were not so fortunate. The mishap was after the official opening ceremony of the Mi. Cook 'dromei

Truman took off. with Harry Wigley, sou of tho Alanaglng-Director of MI. Cock Tourist. Company, a-s passenger, to giv e an exhibition of aero-iia,t-ies at an altitude of between 3000 and -1000 feet. He commenced inverted living, rolling and looping. Then th ( , imtghine d'ved from about 2000 feel, and swooped over the aerodrome vei'v close to the ground. He turned and dived down the valley again, swooping low.

Greatly to the alarm and eousternation of tho spei-tal-or.s, in a moment, the unilei'i-n rririge ot' the machine struck a parked motor bus, shearing through its roof, shaltering the glass aud tearing the sheet metal as if it were paper. The impact tore off one wheel of the undercarriage of the aeroplane, and pari of the left tail plnue. The wheel was at. once taken out into thc flying field, and shown fo the men in th 0 aeroplane. The pilot -flew low for a moment, -as if undecided what to do. Then he pointed in the direction of Christchurch, and flew to YVigrani.

Tlie two injured men -were H. Max Whatunan (a “Star-Sun’’ reporter),, aud Reginald N. Downes (chief reporter of the “Tiinaru Herald”). They were sitting in th,, bus which the aeroplane .Struck. Whatman was severely shock'ed. and was cut by flying glass. H'-- spectacles were smashed, but h s eyes escaped injury. Downes also was cut ami shocked, but not so seriously. YVhatman was brought -to Christeiiure.il by another plane fur medical attention.