WELLINGTON AIR TRAGEDY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 269, 28 October 1932, Page 7

WELLINGTON AIR TRAGEDY

INQUEST ON GRESSER AND KING. CORONER’S VEBDICT. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Oct. 28. The inquest on the two airmen, Gresser and King, was held to-day. After hearing the evidence of SquadronLeader Stedman, Constable Tooker, of Johnsonville, Captain Bolt and A. W. Nisbet, the coroner, Mr. E. Gilbertson, returned a verdict that the men suffered fatal injuries when their aeroplane crashed into the hill, which was obscured on account of the foggy atmospheric conditions. It was one of those unfortunate accidents that happen in flying. The pilot in this case had apparently taken a chance. He should have followed the instructions of Captain Bolt regarding the route but had not done so and had flown into the hill at a terrific rate and both men had been killed instantaneously. In the course of the evidence Squad-ron-Leader Stedman said he considered Gresser a safe enough pilot in good weather, but he would be ratfier unreliable in a case of extreme emergency. Squadron-Leader Stedman mentioned that the weather conditions were all right from Paekakariki north, but between there and Wellington the clouds were low, particularly at John- 1 sonville, where they were right on top of the hills. Three other machines had gone through from New Plymouth but had crossed the range of hills farther north and flown down the Hutt Valley. Stedman said there was no occasion for Gresser to have gone into the clouds. Captain Bolt gave evidence of landing at Wanganui and meeting Gresser, who was then waiting for a better weather report from Wellington. Witness told him to wait at Palmerston North until witness rang him from Wellington. After he got through witness got in touch with Gresser at Palmerston North and told him he had got through quite easily into Upper Hutt. The actual crossing of the hills was made over the low saddle where the Moonshine road goes. Witness told Gresser to try that route, and if he could not get through there to try the usual route, and if he could not get through there to come down the coast. Gresser was bound under the rules of the club to follow witness’s instructions He also told Gresser that if. he got into any difficulty to return to Levin. Witness, to coroner: It was quite all right for Gresser to come down the Johnsonville route, but he could not understand him flying into the clouds. When Mr Nisbet, secretary of the Aero Club, was proposed as a witness, the coroner remarked that he was satisfied that the club was not to blame in any way. It seemed to him that the man was an embryo flyer and did hot know enough and los. his head. After Mr Nisbet had given evidence, the coroner said that there was no doubt that the officials of the club had done all in their power to give the flyers information as to the weather conditions and the right course to take, and subsequently'to find them.