VISITING ’PLANE MEETS WITH A SLIGHT MISHAP

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6868, 25 March 1929, Page 6

VISITING ’PLANE MEETS WITH A SLIGHT MISHAP

Nobody Injured ROUGH GROUND DAMAGES UNDER-CARRIAGE Palmerstouians who had decided to take advantage of Sunday afternoon's real summer weather, cloudless sky and a visiting aeroplane to get a bird's-eye view of their city, were doomed to disappointment. At 1.4.5 p.m., after the 'plane piloted by Captain G. L. Stedman, with Mr. S. Gardner as a passenger, had made a perfect landing and was taxi-ing along tho runway at the Manawatu Aero club's landing site, the under carriago collapsed with tho result that the machine will be out of commission for at least a fortnight. Seen last evening, Captain Stedman stated the failure of tho undercarriage was due to the tremendous strain put on it during the two and a-half days tho 'piano had been flying from the Milson line ground. Both Captains Stedman and J. D. Hewett who have been piloting tho Avro Avian while in Palmerston North, state that the site is ideal for size and location but that the surface is too far from being smooth to be satisfactory. At the time of the mishap the 'plane was running on the two wheels and tail skid up to a stop. When the undergear collapsed the tips of the revolving propellor were broken off by the earth. Up till the time of the accident tho 'plane had made 77 flights locally with passengers. Neither pilot nor passenger were injured in any way. SIMILAR ACCIDENT IN WAIKATO Per Press Association. HAMILTON, Last Night. Whilo landing after a flight at Rukuhia yesterday afternoon an Avro Avian light aeroplane piloted by Lieutenant W. H. Lett of the Goodwin-Chichester Aviation Coy., was damaged. The undercarriage and propellor were smashed and the wings were broken. Neither Lieutenant Lett nor a young man carried as a passenger was hurt.

COOK STRAIT CROSSED. WELLINGTON, Last Night. A light aeroplano from the Marlborough Aero club crossed tho Straits this morning and landed at 11.15 after a fifty minutes flight on tho newlylevelled air port at Rongotai, Miramar. The pilot was Captain. N. E. Chandler and tho passenger Mr. L. W. Eimsley, a member of tho club who had urgent business in Wellington. Tho passenger on. the return will be Mr. J. H. Preston, ground engineer of tho club who is visiting Wellington.