DEATH CRASH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21906, 15 September 1934, Page 12

DEATH CRASH

FATE OF AIRMEN EGMONT TRAGEDY DISCOVERY OF BODIES AEROPLANE WRECKED A TERRIFIC IMPACT [bt telegraph—OWN correspondent] NEW PLYMOUTH, Friday The worst fears of an air tragedy on the densely-wooded slopes of Mount Egmont were realised to-day when, as a result of an extensive and wellorganised search, the Western Federated Aero Club's Moth aeroplane ZK ABS was found •wrecked arid the two occupants dead. The victims were: Mr. S. W. Green, pilot of the machine, Mr. J. A. Austin, the passenger. The machine had crashed on to a ridge with terrific force, being completely smashed, and both men were killed instantly. It required six hours for a party of men to take the bodies oyer most broken and densely-wooded country to the top of Alfred Road, i which was reached at 1.25 this after- ' noon. The bodies were then brought to ! New Plymouth by car. ! A splendid response was made to the I call for volunteer searchers to-day, but | most credit for the prompt finding of | the machine must go to the Kaimiro | bushmen and trappers, who guided par- | ties over some of the worst country on i Egmont and neighbouring ranges, and i who slashed a trail for the removal of i the bodies. Accurate Estimate o 1 Area It is believed that if the two trapj pers, Messrs. T. and G. Burrows, had I not heard the aeroplane crash and thus | fixed the approximate position it would I never have been found, so smashed was it and hidden in dense bush. So exact was the estimate of Mr. T. Burrows, an experienced bushman, that the machine was found only a few hundred yards away from the area indicated. The Burrows', trapping camp was the base for operations. There the body of searchers, numbering forty, f>plit up into parties under experienced bushmen and the search began shortly after daylight. The parties kept in touch with one another so as to comb the country thoroughly, while aeroplanes piloted by Flying-Officer Keith and Captain Gibbons could be seen and heard on their search from the air. At 10.15, after patches of snow had caused false alarms, a party near the branch of the Kaiauai River with the Waiwaikaiho River, at a height of 4000 ft., came across a piece of aeroplane fabric on a steep ridge. Fifty yards on a terrible sight presented itself, the remains of the aeroplane being found strewn about and the j bodies of the two men, with shocking ! injuries, being found together in the fuselage. Death had clearly been instantaneous. The machine had dived with terrific force on to the ridge, being smashed on large trees. Plunge Against Tree In its descent it had first grazed a tree, leaving part of the tail fabric in the branches. Then it had snapped off a narrow tree and plunged against a 10ft. thick rata. One of the wings was torn off and smashed, the engine was torn out and flung 20ft. from the fuselage which was shorn of both wings, and the tail fell crumpled to the ground. The blow against the big tree had twisted the fuselage round until it pointed in the opposite direction. The petrol tank could not be found. Mr. Austin's camera, with which he had been taking photographs of Egmont, was smashed to fragments. Both men's safety belts were untied and not snapped, making it appear they had anticipated the crash and had freed themselves hoping to jump. The discovery of the machine was made by a party comprising Constable A. 0. Davis, Messrs. J. W. Cash, E. Gierke, 1). Robinson and S. Arthur, and steps were at once taken to notify other parties, who soon gathered to the scene. As arranged, a smoke signal was made and soon picked up by an aeroplane which circled before racing off to attract the other machine, which also circled. The pilots, however, could not see the wrecked aeroplane so dense was the bush. Strenuous Return Journqy Then began the most arduous task of removing the bodies out of the bush. After bushmen had provided tea for tho whole party and the police had taken notes the party moved off. Owing to the steepness of the country, the stretchers had been left behind and the bodies were tied to thick saplings. Four men carried the bodies at a time, and so strenuous was the journey that constant relays were necessary. At times it took the combined aid of ten men to carry the bodies up steep slopes and lower them down gullies. The task was made more arduous when drenching rain set in at a height of 8000 ft. Eventually the seven miles to the top of Alfred Road was covered, the party emerging at the car at 4.25, the journey having taken six hours. By this time all parties on Egmont and the ranges had been recalled, and cars soon brought the exhausted men to New Plymouth. To-morrow Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M., in accordance with the Air Regulations, will proceed to the scene of tho wreck and inspect the machine. Machine's Dive to Earth The behaviour of the wrecked machine on the last occasion on which it was seen Hying was described by Mr. G. Burrows who first telephoned to New Plymouth the news that tho ZKABS had crashed. Mr. Burrows and his father appear to have been the only eye witnesses of the aeroplane's dive to earth. When he first noticed the machine it was coming over the ranges in tho direction of New Plymouth and was losing height, Mr. Burrows said. When it was some distance away from them hu and his father heard the engine begin to misfire and then the aeroplane entered a long dive which took it out of their sight. Within a few seconds it seemed they heard a terriffic crash from which they judged that the machine had fallen. After a consultation it was decided that tho father should make an effort to find the machine and the son should go down to Kaimiro and telephone.