AIR LINER TRAGEDY

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXII, Issue 4638, 11 May 1938, Page 5

AIR LINER TRAGEDY

CRASH OF KOTARE. DEATH OF TWO PILOTS. ONE ENGINE STOPS. Disaster overtook the Union Airways liner Kotare immediately after taking off from Mangere aerodrome for Palmerston North and Wellington at 12.15 yesterday afternoon. The machine struck a tree about half a mile north of the aerodrome, crashed, and was destroyed by fire, the pilot and the co-pilot being killed. There were no passengers.

The victims of the accident are:— Commander Cyril Mercer Duthie, aged 30, married, of 43 Vale Road, St. Heliers Bay, Auckland, chief pilot, and Second-Officer William John Peel, aged 24, single, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Peel, of Napier, co-pilot.

From the moment she left the ground until she crashed, the Kotare was seen to be in difficulties. Officials of Union Airways and the Auckland Aero Club, as well as a number of other spectators, noticed that the starboard motor stopped just as the machine cleared the runway toward the south-west, and, with only the port engine working, the Kotare was swung violently to starboard. Straight toward the Auckland Aero Club's hangar, which was hastily vacated by the staff, the monoplane sped, still with her landingwheels in the extended position. Brilliant flying by Commander Duthie, which was the subject of glowing references by experts who saw it, lifted the Kotare to clear the top of the hangar by a small margin.

Only a few feet above other obstacles in her path, the crippled machine continued to swing- to starboard. Witnesses stated that, in an effort to increase his control, Commander Duthie retracted the undercarriage, but the machine held to her circular course. Horrified spectators watched her heading round toward tall trees. The port wing struck one of the tallest trees, snapped it cleanly 40ft. from the ground, and the monoplane plunged to earth. Fire Follows Instantly, Fire followed in an instant. Before they could run to where their motorcars were parked, those watching saw flame and smoke rising from the gully into which the Kotare had fallen. Young pine trees began to blaze, and in a few seconds there was a dense column of smoke.

Farm labourers working in the vicinity were among the first to reach the wrecked monoplane. Burning with a fierce heat that drove them back, the machine was rapidly consumed by the flames, and those who had rushed to the aid of the fliers were forced to stand by helplessly and watch the monoplane burn. It is believed that both men were killed by the crash. In the blackened mass of wreckage scattered among burned trees in the gully it was difficult to recognise the gleaming silver monoplane, edged with scarlet, that had droned safely over the city less than an hour before. A cursory examination, however, showed that the engines were fairly intact and though the airscrews were bent it is possible that the motors will be in a condition to indicate to experts the cause of the sudden stoppage of one of them.