DIVE TO EARTH

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18758, 15 July 1935, Page 6

DIVE TO EARTH

AEROPLANE CRASH CAUSE NOT YET CLEAR Just how the accident happened to the Canterbury Aero Club’s Moth aeroplane, which crashed at Olioka on Friday, is not known definitely. Neither of the injured men, Mr. J. J. Busch, commercial pilot, to the club, and Mr. A. C. Baines, was able to give a full account of it. It is known, however, that Mr. Baines was flying, the machine. He is a pupil of the Canterbury Aero Club, and was receiving advanced instruction from Mr. Busch. When over the property of Messrs. Harvey Bros., at Olioka, he began to practice a forced landing, and for some reason not yet clear, the machine failed to straighten out.

Eye-witnesses said the plane dived at the ground and then side-slipped, striking the ground first- wjth its right wings and then swinging round slightly and burying its nose. The impact curled the lower right wing over the upper, threw the engine forward on to the ground in a tangled mass, and cracked the fuselage, in two or three places. Wheu those who had been watching the aeroplane approach arrived at the scene of the crash it-was evident that neither of the occupants was seriously hurt, and they were escorted to the home of Mr. G. G. Cottle. They were taken later to the Christchurch Public Hospital. The aeroplane had been in the air lor about two hours when the accident happened, and was returning to Wigram aerodrome from Rangiora. The field in which the machine crashed was planted with wheat and was soft and sticky. Just about 12vds. ahead of the place where the aeroplane came to rest there was a ditch about oft. deep, and a gorse hedge. The field in which tire crash occurred is surrounded by other fields equally muddy and sticky, and it is stated that there is only about one field anywhere near which would be. suitable for landing.