’PLANE CRASH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 30 January 1933, Page 4

’PLANE CRASH

NEAR OPUNAKE A PASSENGER KILLED (By Telegraph—Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH, 29th January. A fatal aeroplane crash occurred at Piliama, a few miles south of Opunake at 4.20 o’clock to-day when Guy Putt, aged 18 years, a passenger in a Western Federated Flying Club machine piloted by Bi-ian Davies, of Hawera, was killed instantly. Davies received concussion. Tli© machine was extensively damaged. According to a resident, Mr E. S. Forsyth, who saw the crash, the ’olane stalled in a turn and with the speed lost it nose-dived from an altitude of about 200 feet. When Mr Forsyth arrived at the scene lie found flie ’plane in a vertical position with the nose in the ground. Both men were thrown forward Putt’s head striking the engine. Davies was extricated from the back seat with great difficulty and taken to the Hawera hospital. Before taking Putt aloft Davies made a perfect landing at the Hawera aerodrome at the conclusion of another passenger flight, and the engine appeared to be functioning splendidly. Davies received his endorsement permitting him to carry passengers from Squadron Leader T. M. Wilkes when Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith was in New Plymouth recently, and he has made half a dozen passenger flights.