FLYING FATALITY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21982, 13 December 1934, Page 12

FLYING FATALITY

EVIDENCE OF PILOT AEROPLANE IN THICK MIST CRASH WHEN LANDING ACTUAL CAUSE NOT KNOWN [BY TELEGRAPH —I'll ESS association] TIMARU, Wednesday An inquest into the death of Mr. Howard Wentworth Bailey, of LKmodin, who was killed when the Otatro Aero Club's metal Moth machine ZK-ACE, piloted by Mr. Frank Cecil Taylor, of Dunedin, crashed at St. Andrews, near Tiniaru, 011 the morning of November 21, was held by the coroner, Mr. A. L. Gee, to-day. Deceased, who was a passenger in tie machine, was travelling to Wellington as a delegate to the Masonic Grand Lodge Communication. The pilot was injured in the crash. Taylor stated that he was the holder of a pilot's A endorsed licence, 'l'ho weather conditions were good when he and Bailey left Mosgiel and no difficulty was experienced when leaving. When near Oamaru clouds went under the aeroplane at a height of 2000 feet and clouds were also passing above. As the machine proceeded breaks in the clouds became less frequent until finally witness found himself totally surrounded by mist. Unable to see Instruments After flyfrig for some time in these conditions he decided to gain height, but the higher he went the darker conditions became and at 4000 feet the conditions were so bad that he could not even see the instruments in the machine. Owing to this witness came down where there was more light, deciding that it would be safer to land than to fly in such conditions. "I picked out a long grassy paddock near a farmhouse and circled twice to make sure it was safe to land there," continued witness. "On looking at the air-speed indicator it registered 65 miles an hour just prior to passing over a belt of trees near the farmhouse. I do not remember anything after passing the trees while making toward the paddock I intended to land in. The next thing I remember was being assisted from the wreckage of the aeroplane. During the time I was in the mist Bailey told me he could not see, but never made any request to me to land." No Shortage of Petrol Cross-examined by Sergeant Hodgson, who represented the police, witness said that his experience in flying was 80 hours and he had held a licence for at least three years. There was no shortage of petrol in the machine, but it was an Aero Club rule that if a pilot should become immersed in mist he was to land or turn back. Witness could not say what was the actual cause of the crash. He had not intended to land in the paddock on which he crashed. Andrew Woods, licensee of the Masonic Hotel, St. Andrews, described the accident. He said he saw the pilot attempt to land and the machine, in turning, seemed to fall to the ground. The verdict returned was that deceased died from shock and cerebral laceration which was received when an aeroplane piloted by Taylor crashed at St. Andrews when attempting to land on account of poor visibility.