MOTH PLANE CLASHES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3996, 14 October 1930, Page 7

MOTH PLANE CLASHES.

PILOT ESCAPES INJURY.

UNFORTUNATE ERROR OF JUDGMENT.

(Photograph in This Issue.) CHRISTCHURCH, October 8. A Moth aeroplane piloted by Mr J. Grimes, a pupil of the Canterbury Aero Club, crashed into the roof of one of the hangars at the Wigram Aerodrome this morning. The pilot, who was at rti S time undergoing the tests for his linens? and who was flying solo, escaped unhur». Wing-commander S. Grant-Dalton, who was observing the tests as examining officer, said that Mr Grimes was doing figures of eight at the time and was lox i g height at each turn. Finally, he came toward the hangars, and eventually as his height was not sufficient to clear them, he crashed when turning. One wing caught the cross-bar of an electric light pole at. the rear of the hangar, and the aeroplane, which at the time was going towards the front of the sheds, spun right over and ended up with its nose buried into the roof, lying partly on its side and facing the other way. One wing was crumpled beneath it. The accident had apparently been due not to any fault of the machine, but to an error of judgment on tlfe part of the pilot. A large hole was torn in the roof of the hangar, and the aeroplane itself, except for the motor, which is of considerable value, was a complete wreck. The wings were crumpled and .sheared at the junction with the fuselage. The fuselage was bent and shattered just behind the motor, and the propeller was smashed. Fortunately, the rear pilot’s cockpit was left clear, and Mr Grimes was able to get out without difficulty. The remaining five pupils continued with their tests, and those questioned said that the flying conditions were good. Mr* Grimes himself was unwilling to say anything about the accident, which, he agreed, was a piece of bad luck. He will now be unable to go up for his pilot’s license for some time until the examining tests are again held in Christchurch. Later in the morning he again went up in the club’s other machine in the company of Mr J. C. Mercer, the club’s instructor.

Corporal Vaden, one of the Air Force photographers, who had been working at the time of the accident in the building into which the machine crashed, said that he had received a severe shock The sound of the approaching motor and the splintering crash, together with a fall of debris from the roof, was not likely to be good for the nerves, especially as twice previously he had been in a building when au aeroplane had fallen into it.

Arrangements were set in hand immediately to repair the six-foot gaping hole in the roof, as much valuable photographic material was stored below it. Some damage was done by oil which came from the machine. A number of Air Force mechanics quickly set to work dismantling the machine and lowering the parts to the ground. Before it could be released much of the roofing had to be cut away. It has not yet been decided whether it can be rebuilt, this being dependent upon the decision of the Air Force authorities after inspection.

The Aero Club has no insurance on the machine, which was the one in which Miss Arolia Clifford crashed some months ago. It had done in all 600 flying hours. The New Zealand Aero Club, representing all the aero clubs, is endeavouring to make arrangements for the insurance of aeroplanes, which cannot at present be obtained in New Zealand. The Aero Club is now left with only one machine, but another, purchased on its own account, will arrive from England at the end of the month.

The aeroplane that was wrecked to-day was 'the second that the club has lost, and both have been Government property on loan to the club. Yet, although this is the third accident to an Aero Club aeroplane, it is the first time anything has happened when a machine has been piloted by a pupil. In each of the other cases the pilots had already obtained their “A ” licenses, and nearly 30 pupils have received their training without accident.