Tiger Moth Crashes in Harbour

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 5, 7 January 1941, Page 4

Tiger Moth Crashes in Harbour

Two Officers Injured, One Seriously SPECTACULAR CRASH NEAR AUCKLAND Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Jan. b. A Royal New Zealand Air Force machine from the Hobsonville Air Base crashed into the harbour this afternoon a short distance off the mouth ot the Whau creek. The two officers managed to scramble on top of the wreckage and were rescued by a private iauuen before being transferred to the Tasman Empire Airways tender and being sent to the Auckland Hospital. The officers were: Pilot Officer Peter to. Worsp, aged 24, of Whangarei, who suffered shock and abrasions. His condition is not serious. Pilot Officer Arthur C. Long, aged 27, of Kelburu, Wellington, who suffered injuries to his back and head and concussion. His condition is serious. It was officially stated taat tne aeroplane, a Tiger Moth training machine ntted with dual control, was returning to Hobsonville from a short training tligut. Both officers have been attending the instructor’s course at Hoosonviiie and had been away from tho base for from 40 to 50 minutes, it was not known to-night who was at the controls when the machine crashed. Mr. to. Day, owner of the launch Alma which was anchored in \\ hau creek, saw the machine go over toward the Hobsonville arm ol the harbour. WuddenJy it seemed to get out oi control and dived steeply. Before the pilot could correct its dive the Moth nit the water, sending up a nuge spikah. Although he thought the occupants must havo been instantly killed or would be drowned before ne could get to the machine, Mr. Duy summoned assistance from the shore and took tho Alma down Wnau creek to tne shoal water off its mouth. Here he found that the machine had struck in four or feet of water from which the top of the fuselage behind the rear cockpit and a portion of the crumpled wings protruded. To his relief he found the two airmen silting on the machine, one supporting the other. Mr. Day manoeuvred his launch alongside the wreckage and he and Mr, Jackson succeeded in taking the two airmen off and placing them in the dinghy. Later an Air Force launch from Hobsonville Air Baee arrived and two fast tenders belonging to Tasman Empire Airways sped irorn the city. The two airmen were placed on one o£ these tenders and brought rapidly back to Queen’s Wharf where an amuulauce waited to take them to the Auckland Hospital. They were attended ou the way up the harbour by Flight-Lieuten-ant A. McKenzie Gunn, medical officer attached to the air base. The call for an auioutauce was sent by radio from the Airwave tender to the Musick Memorial radio station. It was then relayed by telephone to the ambulance headquarters.* The tender continued to use its radio to inform the ambulance of its progress up the harbour with airmen and to have some special supplies waiting for them. A line had in the meantime beta made fast from the Air Force launch to the wreckage of the Moth. Although little of it showed above water, tlio weight of the engine keeping most of it submerged, it could be seen that tho airscrew had been snapped off and tho wings thrust back out of allignmeut. The wreckage was taken in tow by t.;e launch and pulled off into deep water for return to Hobsonville.