A COURT MARTIAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24525, 6 February 1941, Page 6

A COURT MARTIAL

INQUIRY INTO FLYING FATALITY (Per United Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH, Feb. 5. A court-martial sat at the R.N.Z.A.F. Elementary Flying Training School at Bell Block to-day to inquire into the circumstances of an accident on December 6. 1940. in which Leading Aircraftman M. S. Best was struck and killed instantly by a plane in which were Flying Officer C. Parker and a pupil. The court, will resume its siting tc-morrow morning. The court is constituted as follows: — President, Group Captain ■ Hodson, A.F.C.; members. Squadron Leaders B. S. Nicholl. R.. A. Kirkup, R. C. Ayling and Flight Lieutenant R. J. Makgill; prosecutor. Flying Officer .Jackson; defending officer. Flight Lieutenant A G. Hill. The circumstances of the accident were that accompanied by another airman a pilot undergoing training was returning from a rifle range at the extreme northern corner of the landing ground. To reach the school buildings they skirted the aerodrome, walking near the boundary and were about a quarter of the way round when a landing plane containing a pupil with his pilot instructor struck and killed Best. The impact was not seen by the dead man’s companion because he threw himself to the ground as the plane approached. It was assumed from a subsequent inspection of the plane that one of the wheels struck Best.