AIRMAN’S DEATH

Northern Advocate, 12 January 1935, Page 9

AIRMAN’S DEATH

CRASH AT PAGEANT. INQUEST CONCLUDED. ACCIDENTAL OCCURRENCE. t Special to “Northern Advocate .”l TE AROHA, This Day. An adjourned inquest was held yesterday before Mr N. J. Ray, coroner, concerning the death of the airman, Clarence Clifton Waite, on November 28 last year. Mr S. M. Nicholls appeared on behalf of the Te Aroha Aero Club, and Mr R. King for Mr S. J. Blackmore. Mr Robert Coulter, president of the Aero Club, said that on the occasion of the aerial pageant at Waihou, fewer planes arrived to take part (than was expected. The club captain, Mr Waite, favoured the holding of the principal events on the programme to keep faith with the public, and arranged with Mr Blackmore to stage a “dog fight.” He (witness) saw the evolution and the collision of the planes, but could not say which collided with'the other first. Mr Kingsley-Smith, secretary to the Aero Club, gave corroborative evidence on the main fact. He 1 considered that the Moth, in doing the steep stall downwards, was not in a position to see the De Soutter. He estimated the height at 1500 feet, and following the collision the Moth went into a spin. Stanley James Blackmore detailed the arrangements made for the) “dog fight” between himself and deceased. In conversation with the latter, he advised special care in following out the arrangements, which were that deceased was to adopt follow-my-leader tactics and not to get behind or above the De Soutter, as he (Blackmore) would not be able to see him. The object was that Waite should discharge fireworks and defend in a more realistic fashion. They took off at 1800 feet, but deceased assumed the, offensive and the Do Soutter was attacked. The Moth dashed at its tail and the two planes collided. He dived violently to gain space and banked in order to avoid hitting. The Moth made a terrific dash, and the De Soutter went out of control. He (witness) regained partial control to make a tail-high landing. Witness estimated Waite’s speed at 120 m.p.h. before the collision. Constable Monson said that Dr. Lawrence, who was called in after the accident, found that Waite was terribly injured. The verdict was that death was caused by a fractured skull and other injuries, received when the plane he was piloting in an air pageant crashed at Waihou on November 28. The crash was caused by an accidental collision in the course of a mock battle,