THREE KILLED IN CRASH

Hawera Star, Volume L, 9 February 1931, Page 4

THREE KILLED IN CRASH

’PLANE TRAGEDY AT WAIROA NOSE-DIVE FOLLOWS STALL. CONDITIONS HAD BEEN BAD. (.by Telegrapu —Press /vssociatiou. ) vrioßOliNiEj J: ei). 8. Three men were killed when a Lonuuion Airways monoplane carrying telegrams crasfied witnin a mile of Wairoa early this afternoon. The victims were: Captain Ivan L. Eight, solicitor, director of Dominion Airways. Walter Findlay, a well-known business man of Gisborne, where he owns a large bakery and catering

business. W. C. Strand, address saiu to be Brunswick Street, Lower Hutt, representative of A. S. Paterson, Ltd., and son of the Mayor or Lower Hutt. The fliers left Gisborne at 1.15 witn instructions to drop at Wairoa a oag containing telegrams. Apparently t-e -’plane dropped the bag and rose again. It tnen banked._ The engine stalled and the machine nose-dived into the side of the road near the Public Works Department camp a mile from the Wairoa oridge. The ’plane was found completely turned over with its nose buried deep in the ground. Men worked feverishly, breaking a portion of the right wing to reach the occupants, but it was too late to render assistance. Two victims were killed outright. One was breatning, but died within a few

minutes. A cordon kept back the crowd until the police arrived with the ship’s doctor of the Northumberland, who has been marooned here since the liner came on a v-ild-goose chase on Friday, in response to an exaggerated message. The bodies were removed to the Public Works Department stores. The ’plane was a monoplane Desoutter cabined machine registered ZHAO A. It arrived at Gisborne from Hastings about midday to day and departed for Hastings after lunch. The same machine piloted by Captain G. Bolt has performed excellent service in maintaining communication between Gisborne and outside since the earthquake. Captain Bolt was relieved from the duties onlyvto-day and Captain Kigr.t took over the days trip. It had been intended to return to Gisborne with mail matter later in the afternoon. On arrival of the machine on Saturday Captain Bolt said he had never had a worse trip. Bumping occurred all the way, and he went to the length of strapping himself in for the return trip to Hastings on Saturday. Mr Findlay was a popular business man of Gisborne. He had in Hastings attending to business interests there and returned to Gisborne on Saturday night and left again to-day about 1.15 p.m. for the devastated area to make arrangements for bread supplies. He is survived by a widow and two sons.