AEROPLANE CRASHES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 6, 5 December 1932, Page 6

AEROPLANE CRASHES

MISHAP AT PAGEANT. SQUADRON-LEADER McGREGOR HURT. As reported in the later editions of the “Standard” on Saturday, the second annual air pageant of the Manawatu Aero Club, held at the Milson aerodrome, was marred by a serious mishap as a result of which the club s instructor, Squadron-Leader M. G. McGregor, was seriously injured and the club’s only machine was badly damaged. The accident occurred about 2.35 o’clock during a daring exhibition. ot flying in which Squadron-Leader McGregor was giving a display of balloon bursting. The airman had been flying for about eight minutes and had been exceptionally successful, bursting four balloons. A tricky southwest wind was blowing at the time, and the fifth balloon presented a difficulty quarry. He had zoomed down over the crowd several times and just missed success twice and, with characteristic determination, he swooped acutely. The balloon traversed the line of motor cars and was proceeding across the adjacent paddock when about 120 feet up the airman apparentlv put the machine into a short dive"" and half roll with the intention of catching the balloon on the propeller as he rose.

A visiting pilot who was in the vicinity stated that he heard the ’plane zooin strongly as if the engine were being led tor the purpose of accelerating, but Squadron-Leader McGregor’s attempt did not succeed and the machine went into a flat dive. It skimmed a barbed wire fence by a narrow margin and landed just inside the field. The speed at the time of the impact was very high as the engine was at full throttle and the force threw the ’plane along the ground for about 20 yards before it came to rest. • _ Assistance was quickly, forthcoming and ambulance men were on the scene immediately. Fortunately the machine landed flatly and the airman was removed without difficulty. He was bleeding profusely, a large gash in the head and another across one eye being most serious. The Free Ambulance was summoned and the injured airman, who had retained consciousness throughout, was conveyed to the Palmerston North Hospital. An examination of the machine showed that it had been severly damaged. The wings had crumpled and were bent back against the fuselage, which was crumpled in the fore part. The propeller was splintered by the impact and the undercarriage, which had caught the ground as the machine was in tne process of lifting out of the dive in its attempt to rise, was totally wrecked'. The engine had also felt the foroe of the impact, being twisted around completely. The rear portion was the chief part to remain undamaged. An examination revealed that .the controls were intact, however, and this discounts the opinion of some spectators that, before the crash, they saw something fall. What fell out'was a burst balloon that had fouled a Hying wire previously. The machine was later removed to the aerodrome for salvage. The Manawatu Aero Club are heavy losers as a result of the crash for they are now without a machine of any kind. ZK-ABA was the only ’plane they possessed, their first machine having been sold only recently. The premium required had been responsible for the club not insuring it and the loss of purchase cost, £/OU, will mean a set back. It was hoped to perhaps recondition the machine, but at least £3OO would be required.

McGregor is a very popular and capable pilot and his flying experience aggregates more than 3000 hours.

The mishap was the first aeroplane accident which he has had in New Zealand. Once he had. a forced landing at Home when a cylinder head flew off, and during tire War, when engaged with an enemy machine, the timing of his gun became faulty and he shot his own propeller to have a fortunate escape in a forced descent. Keen anxiety was felt for his condition by the crowd, whose fears were allayed by announcements during _ the afternoon that his condition was not as serious as was anticipated. On his admission to the Hospital, however, he was placed on the “seriously ill” list. He underwent an X-ray examination yesterday and passed a good night, his condition to-day being 'unchanged. The Manawatu (“N.”) Squadron of the Legion of Frontiersmen, at their annual re-union on Saturday night, expressed wishes for Squadron-Leader McGregor’s rapid recovery to health.

INQUIRY HELD. Yesterday morning an air inquiry was conducted at Milson. At 7.45 o’clock a Wellington Club Moth machine, piloted by Mr Brown, left for Wellington and at 10.45 it returned with Squadron-Leader Stedman as pilot and Squadron-Leader Wilkes, Director of Air Services, as passenger. An informal inquiry took place and the acicdent was reconstructed. After inspecting the machine, Squadron-Leader Wilkes returned to Wellington.

EXAMINATION OF MACHINE. In conversation with a “Standard” reporter to-day, Mr Waters stated that the Aero Club’s engineer had made an examination of tire ’plane. The fuselage, which is of steel, is not damaged as much as was at first feared and will be fit for further use. The wings, which are. made of wood, are, however, beyond repair, and will have to be replaced. So far as the engine had been stripped down it had been found to be undamaged. Mr Waters stated that the Wairarapa Aero Club sent Flight-Lieuten-ant Buckeridge and their ground engineer to Palmerston North to lend assistance and also offered to continue the training of the Manawatu Club’s pilots until the machine can be re-commissioned.

Squadron-Leader McGregor is one of the most noted figures in New Zealand aviation. He learned to fly during the war and was later a distinguished pilot of No. 85 squadron commanded by Lieut.Colonel W. A. Bishop, V.C., who shot down 72 enemy machines, and the late Major M. Mannock, V.C., who is officially credited with the destruction of 75 German aeroplanes. Squadron-Leader McGregor won the Distinguished Flying Cross for gallantry in action, and later gained a bar to this decoration. When the New Zealand Territorial Air Force was formed after the war he was one of its original officers, and when it was formed into squadrons in 1930 he was given command of No. 2 (Bombing) Squadron, which has its headquarters in Wellington, and retained the position until his transfer to the reserve. Squadron-Leader McGregor has been prominently connected with aviation in the Dominion. In 1929 he was with Hamilton Airways, Ltd., and later was pilot of a machine operated by a commercial firm. In the following year he inaugurated a sc twice between Christchurch and Dunedin and was the pilot of the majority o£ the experimental airmail flights

carried out within the last year or so under the auspices of the New Zealand i lr ~® a S uc - His appointment as pilot-in structor to the Manawatu Aero Club was a recent one.

TWO MEN INJURED. PLANE’S ENGINE BACKFIRES. During the day two officials of the Manawatu Aero Club had the misfortune'to sustain injuries when start a machine, the Hawke’s B'. ’plane, ZK-ACY. About two o’clock, Mr H. . Walkthe club captain, was swinging ti propeffer when the engine backfired - that t;he jpropeller struck him acrethe back of the left hand. The bow on , -I,® back of the hand were brok and Mr Walker had to have tlio i: pired member dressed. He was o continue his duties, however, p Y. urin S Urn morning, Mr F. ( Botts, the assistant at the aerodr- r nnd a similar experience, but esc:.'more lightly. He had the Lithe right thumb badly injured attention was required*