AERIAL TRAGEDY

Southland Times, Issue 21850, 29 October 1932, Page 6

AERIAL TRAGEDY

INQUEST HELD COMMENTS OF CORONER INSTRUCTIONS DISREGARDED (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, October 28. The inquest on the two airmen, Gresser and King, was held to-day. After hearing the evidence of Squad-ron-Leader Stedman, Constable Tocker of Johnsonville, Captain Bolt, and A. W. Nisbet, the Coroner, Mr Gilbertson, returned a verdict that the men sustained fatal injuries when their aeroplane crashed into a hill which was obscured on account of foggy atmospheric conditions. It was one of those unfortunate accidents that happen in flying. The pilot in this case had apparently taken the chance. He should have followed the instructions of Captain Bolt regarding ,the route, but had not done so and had flown into the hill at a terrific rate and both men had been killed instantaneously. In the course of evidence Stedman said he considered Gresser a safe enough pilot in good weather, but he would be rather unreliable in a case of extreme emergency. Stedman mentioned that the weather conditions were all right from Paekakariki to the north but between there and Wellington the clouds were low, particularly at Johnsonville, where they were right on top of the hills. Three other machines had got through from New Plymouth but had crossed the range of hills farther north and flown down the Hutt Valley. Stedman said there was no occasion for Gresser to have gone into the clouds. Captain Bolt gave evidence of landing at Wanganui and meeting Gresser who was then waiting for a better weather report from Wellington. Witness told him to wait at Palmerston until witness rang him from Wellington after he got through. Witness got in touch with Gresser at Palmerston and told him he had got through quite easilv into the Upper Hutt. The actual crossing of the hills was made over a low saddle where the Moonshine road goes. Witness told Gresser to try that route, and if he could not get through there to try the usual route and if he could not get through there to come down the coast. Gresser was bound under the rules of the club to follow witness’s instructions. He also told Gresser that if he got into any difficulty to return to Levin. To the Coroner witness said it was quite all right for Gresser to come dcwn the Johnsonville route, but he could not understand him flying into the clouds. When Mr Nisbet, secretary of the Aero Club, was proposed as a witness, the Coroner remarked that he was satisfied that the club was not to blame in any way. It seemed to him that the man was an embryo flyer. He didn’t know enough and lost his head. After Nisbet had given evidence, the Coroner said that no doubt the officials of the club had done all in their power to give the flyers information as to the weather conditions and the right course to take and subsequently find them.