CHICHESTER’S CRASH

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17589, 3 October 1931, Page 6

CHICHESTER’S CRASH

STORY OF ILL-FATED FLIGHT The accident at Katsuura (Japan) to Mr. F. C. Chichoster, of Wellington, is described ip the Tokio Japan Times of Ajignsfc 16. Afjter cppsider-able (Rfifigtjlty due to pniayorablp weather, Mr. Chichester su.eecedpd in iaking ihp air .shortly before 10 p'eJjopk,'states the povyspaper. But encountering a stiff easterly headwind he steer,cd round and pjade for Katsuura, keeping nn altitude of about 25.0 metres, apd his plane crashed against a stone wall in front of a hot springs hotel ait Katsuura after striking an electric line built over the sea between the mainland and a’ small island a little way off. Before departing Mr. Chichester is reported to have told the townspeople of Katspura who were ouf to see him off tfiit he liked tire' fsjucken' and rice served bj.pa at Mr. Suy.uki's home. He is jil%o lippfed as spying:— “T any takipg wit)i m.e two sho of ‘■Hakushika,' the brew of sake I learned tp like. I think I bad better take a parachute, but I‘pappot afford tp bag one because it will post pic 700 yen (about §7O). That'ip too much fpr ns proletarians* , “However, a paracjiptp .JVill bP °' no use in nasty wepther like this. I do not like this kind ,of wind, but anyway, I ivill try. U The townspeople who had heard tins Jatpr declared tlj.at Mb* must have had some ominous premonition before taking off. Four .CJlijipsc cjipmctora _ meaning “a safe trip" w-ere written in Indian ink on the left side of Mr Chichester's plane. Tl|e writing on its right side rpad “Favorable wind virtue profit," which <<F .av,o.ra ,;, l c WfWl sake bottle." At Siiingfi Dr. llama is reported to have flecjprcd that Mr* Chicljester wpuld be well again ip a anont-h tijne.