CRASH ON LAWN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22887, 16 November 1937, Page 6

CRASH ON LAWN

AEBOPLANE SENSATION

CHILDREN'S NARROW ESCAPE

PLAYING IN GARDEN CRAWL FROM WRECKAGE [from our own correspondent] SYDNEY. Nov. 11 Three children escaped death by inches when an aeroplane crashed on to the lawn of their home at C'ondobolin, Now South Wales. The pilot, Mr. Don Dawson, of Sydney, and the passenger, Air. Duncan Knox, of Henty, part owner of the aeroplane, were badly shaken but' uninjured. Mr. Dawson is a member of a "flying circus." which was at C'ondobolin for an air pageant. Flying a single-enjoined monoplane cabin Do Souttar, ho was at an altitude of loOOft. when he noticed tho engine getting "sick." "Without warning," lie said, "the engine cut dead completely, while 1 was over the town. I lost height rapidly and decided to make an attempt to land on a vacant allotment at. the corner of two streets. I put down tho aeroplane's nose and purposely crashed through the street electric wires to try a net break down the speed. "It was then that I noticed tho children. and. believe mo, that was tho worst mo'ment of my life. I did not think 1 could miss them. In a flash tho crash came. The noso of the aeroplane hit the ground, the engine dropped out, and the fuselage landed on tho fence and swung completely round. "I whs dazed, and petrol from a broken pipe flowed over us. I feared fire, thinking tho broken wires which were throwing blue sparks would cause an explosion. Knox and I scrambled out, and it was with great relief 1 saw that the children were still alive." The house by which the aeroplane crashed was that of Constable Hardy. His son Robert, aged 12, and daughters Mario, aged six, and Molly, aged two. were on the lawn watching the aeroplane overhead. Marie was sitting on the fence and the other two were standing close by. On hearing the crash, Constable Hardy ran from the house.

Tlie aeroplane was straddled across the fence, the tail touching the verandah. Marie was still sitting on her post a few feet from the aeroplane, and Robert and the baby were crawling unharmed from beneath the broken wing. Broken wires were round their bodies, but they had not been touched by live wires Later Eobert. said: "We were watching the aeroplane and suddenly it started to, drop down. It came nearer and nearer, and in no time seemed only a few feet from us. I thought it was going to hit us, and I grabbed Molly and dropped behind the fence "