PLANE SMASH AT NAPIER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18961, 11 March 1936, Page 13

PLANE SMASH AT NAPIER

DOWN ON GOLF LINKS

PILOT’S SLIGHT INJURY

ENGINE STALLS AT TURN

A Moth plane owned by the Hawke’s day and. Jiast Coast Aero Club and piloted by Mr. H. G. .Etheridge, of Napier, came down on the seventh lairwiiy at' the -Maraeiiui Golf Club s links on Sunday morning, smashing one wing and both blades oi the propeller before coming to rest 36ft. from .where it first struck the ground. The pilot was fortunate to escape with a slight injury to ms nose.

Mr; Etheridge, who was recently granted his A pilot’s license, was Hying solo at the time. He left the Napier aerodrome a few minutes before the mishap ami aiter Hying over the golf links in a westerly direction, turned the nose of the plane again towards Napier. The speed at 'which lie was travelling, however, was apparently insufficient, tor the engine stalled and Lie plane came down. Hitting the ground at an angle, the plane tilted on to one wing and continued til'd that fashion for some 36i't. across the fairway leading to the seventh hole. The machine then tilted on to its nose, both blades of the propeller being broken as it drove a deep furrow in the ground. Mr. Etheridge was exceptionally fortunate in escaping so lightly. There are also several golfers who were playing pi the vicinity at the time who consider themselves fortunate in not having been struck by the descending machine. News of the mishap soon spread and within half an hour a number of motor cars (arrived on the scene from Napier. A breakdown lorry was summoned immediately and the plane, after being dismantled/ was removed. After the mishap, Mr. Etheridge said: "I flew from the Napier acrodome for a 10-ininute flight. While circling over the Maraenlii golf links 1 was doing a turn at a father low altitude. The machine stalled. I pulled the stick back to gel out of the dive, but the undercarriage hit the ground before sufficient flying speed was gained. 1 think that it > had had another 10ft, to spare, I would haye avoided the accident.”