AIR CRASH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23806, 12 May 1939, Page 10

AIR CRASH

TRAGEDY AT WIGRAM BOMBER STRIKES TREE ACTING PILOT KILLED BALCLUTHA MAN INJURED (Per United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH. May 11. One officer of the Royal New Zealand Air Force was killed and two others were seriously burnt when a Vickers Vildebeest bomber crashed into a tree on the boundary of Wigram aerodrome to-night, fell to the ground, and burst into flames. The machine was about to land after night-flying exercises. Those involved in the crash were: Killed Acting pilot Officer Reginald James McCrorie. Injured Pilot Officer William Frederick Dawson, serious burns. Leading Aircraftsman George Henry West, serious burns. Pilot Officer Dawson, who is a son of Mr A. C. Dawson, postmaster at Balclutha, and Leading Aircraftsman West, who belongs to Bluff, are in the Christchurch Hospital, and are both on the seriously ill list. Acting Pilot Officer McCrorie was educated at the Wanganui Collegiate School, and was a son of Lieutenantcolonel W. S. McCrorie. He had been at Wigram for more than six months. Colonel McCrorie was formerly officer commanding the Wellington (West Coast) Regiment.

Thrown Out of Plane

The official account of the accident is that the men were engaged in night-flying training. The Vickers Vildebeest in which they were flying hit a tree on the south boundary of the aerodrome as the aeroplane was coming in to land at approximately 8.15 p.m. The three men were thrown out with the impact, but the aeroplane dived into the ground near them, and burst into flames. The aeroplane fell on top of McCrorie, who must have been killed instantly. The ambulance and fire-fighting equipment at Wigram were immediately rushed, to the spot. Nothing could be done to save McCrorie, but Dawson and West were taken in the Air Force ambulance to the Christchurch Hospital. Great Burst of Flame An eye-witness said that the burst of flame from the aeroplane was so great that at first he thought he was seeing an unusually bright Aurora display. He was coming into the city from the south, and decided to investigate. His second conclusion was that the light came from flares laid to aid the landing of two aeroplanes which he saw flying with lights showing. He left his motor car and moved towards the spot, only to see that the flames came from an aeroplane on the ground. A uniformed Air Force officer prevented him from going any further, although he was nearly half a mile away. “From what I saw of the aeroplane I presumed that any pierson in it at the time of the crash would certainly perish,” he said

A Terrific Explosion

Another man said he saw the aeroplane circling to come in for the landing. He turned his back and saw a great flash in the sky. A terrific explosion followed, and he turned in time to see the aeroplane falling in flames to the ground.