AIR TRAGEDY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24372, 9 August 1940, Page 4

AIR TRAGEDY

CRASH AT WOODBOURNE YOUNG PILOT KILLED NIGHT-FLYING PRACTICE (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Aug. 8. The Minister of Defence announced with regret, as the result of an aircraft accident during nightflying operations, the death of Leading aircraftman Thomas Edwin Denbee, R.N.Z.A.F., who was killed at Woodbourne (Blenheim) at 11 o'clock last night. Denbee, who was a pilot under training, was the sole occupant of the aircraft, an Oxford twin-engined trainer. Extensive night-flying exercises were being carried out at the time, and weather and flying conditions were reported as excellent. According to official information, the crash occurred after the Oxford had taken off from the aerodrome, the aircraft being completely wrecked and the pilot killed instantly. Within a short period of the crash a fire squad was on the scene, but the wreckage did not catch fire. No information is yet available concerning the cause of the accident, but the official committee of inquiry meets to-day at 11 o'clock.

Denbee was the son of Mr T. T. Denbee, town clerk of Masterton, and was born at Masterton 22 years ago. He was educated at the Wairarapa High School, and later was employed in the office of Borthwick and Sons, Masterton. He was prominent in sporting activities, representing Wairarapa in provincial Rugby. He was a member of the Wairarapa and Ruahine Aero Club, gaining his "A" licence in December, 1938. He joined the civil reserve of pilots in 1938, and shortly after the outbreak of war applied for service with the, R.N.Z.A.F. In February he was posted to the ground training school at Levin, later .going to New Plymouth and Blenheim.

Denbee took off at 11 p.m. on ordinary night flying. The twinengined machine circled the aerodrome, and at a noint some 400 yards from the south-west border of the flying field its lights were seen to dive earthwards and the noise of a crash was heard. The plane's fall was observed by the watch officer, and the alarm given immediately. The efficiency of the ambulance and fire brigade units at the aerodrome was demonstrated by the remarkable speed with which they turned out. Great difficulty was, however, experienced in locating the exact spot where the wrecked machine lay, and the party had to bring torches to use and cut their way through fences before eventually both units were brought alongside the plane. It is the first Woodbourne fatality.