HAWERA PILOT ASSISTS

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 17 September 1934, Page 9

HAWERA PILOT ASSISTS

SEARCH FOR WRECKED PLANE six And half hours’ flying SMOKE SIGNAL INVESTIGATED. Details of the activities of the Hawera pilot (Mr Brian Haybittle) in the search, for the ill-fated plane ZK-ARS which crashed on Mount Egmont last Thursday Afternoon were given by Mr i;.. Syme to a '-xiawera otar” representative this morning. Mr Syme accompanied Mr Haybittle on the greater part of the search and was in the 'plane when the main party from Kainiiro which discovered the wreckage was sighted. In all, Mr Haybittle spent six and a-half hours flying time in the search.

Mr- Haybittle, with Mr. S. Horsburgh as observer, left Hawera in Zh-ACH before daybreak on Friday and spent nearly three hours over the bush on the northern side of the mountain, said Mr Syme. He then went on to the New Plymouth aerodrome and joined another ’.plane from Wanganui piloted by Captain S. Gibbons, who had also been over the mountain en rout© but had discovered nothing. Mr Haybittle then returned to Hawera and took Mr Syme back with him. They flew around the seaward side of the mountain and circled the ranges. Nothing was seen the first time round.

“When w© returned over the same ground about a quarter of an hour later,” said Mr Syme, “we sighted smoke.” A fire had been lit by the party which had discovered the ’plane and the smoke was starting to rise above the bush. Mr Haybittle circled several times at a low altitude. Although the searchers could ibe seen clearly waving to the pilot, nothing could be definitely identified from the air its a portion of th© Wrecked ’plane. This ’was because the ’plane had dived into the bush and had not “pancaked” on to the top of the trees. A number of small white patches, which later proved to be pieces of torn fabric, could be seen, but from the air they appeared similar to the patches of snow which was low down on the mountainside. This discovery Was made at about 10.45 a.m.

Mr Haybittle returned to the New Plymouth aerodrome and reported the discovery of the smoke. Flying-Officer Keith, who had flown over the same spot a .quarter of an hour later, also reported having sighted smoke. Thirty minutes later Mr Haybittle again left the aerodrome with Captain Gibbons as observer, said Mr Syme. It was intended to carry out a further examination of the spot where the smoke was seen, in an endeavour to distinguish portions of the ’plane. By this time the smoke had disappeared, however, as the search party had left on the return journey. It was not until two hours later that telephone communication with the New Plymouth aerodrome established the fact that the ’plane definitely had been located at the spot where smoke had been sighted earlier in the day. Mr Syme stated that it would have been almost impossible for ai r search alone to have discovered the ’plane. As it was buried beneath the foliage search may have been conducted for weeks without result. It was mentioned that on the afternoon of the crash the Hawera Aero Club arranged fo r a pilot and the machine stationed at Dunlop Field to stand by in readiness to take part in a search that afternoon.

Cause of Crash

MANY THEORIES ADVANCED.

AIR) CURRENTS IN DIVIDE. Many theories have been advanced as to the cause of the crash of ZKABS during Thursday’s flight along the northern face of Mount Eigmont, but in the opinion of those Avell-versed in the varying conditions to be encountered in the course of such a flight, the most probable theory Avill be found in the behaviour of the craft in a sudden gust of Avind doAvn the mountain slopes, or in an uprising current of air from the loAver level of the surrounding country. As stated in Saturday’s issue of the “HaAvera Star” it is an assumption from the observations made by the only persons to see the ’plane before the crash, Mr R. Burtoavs and his son, who Avere engaged in opossum trapping in the ranges above Kaimiro, that the engine “cut out” at a comparatively loav altitude and volplaned into the bush at a terrific speed. That the engine “cut out’and at that crucial moment a gust of Avind bloAving doAvn the divide betAveen the main peak of Egmont and the adjacent peak of the Pouakai Ranges caught the machine up and dashed it to earth is regarded as the most probable cause of the crash.

Questioned as to his views Mr Havbittle said that he had formulated a theory but as he had been asked by Squadron-Leader L. M. Isitt to prepare a report he did not feel disposed to discuss the matter at the present juncture. His theory had been formulated in the light of experience gained of flying conditions on Mount Egmont and particularly after six and a half hours’ flying on the day after the disaster. Avhen similar conditions as regards the direction of the Avind prevailed. The crash occurred four miles from the edge of the reserve in tall timber at an altitude of 28f)0 feet at a point or> the slope between the main peak of Egmont and the Pouakai Ranges.