PLANES CRASH TOGETHER

Taranaki Daily News, 24 February 1931, Page 9

PLANES CRASH TOGETHER

ACCIDENT NEAR GERALDINE NONE OF FOUR OCCUPANTS HURT. ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS BAD. AVIATION DIRECTOR PILOTING ONE By Telegraph.—Preen Association. Timaru, Last Night. Two,Government planes, one piloted by Wing-Commander Grant Dalton, Dirtor Of Civil Aviation, who had a passenger, and the other, piloted by FlightSergeant Simpson, who had as passenger Flight-Sergeant L. A. Dini, crashed near Silverton, the homestead of Mr. J. M. H. Tripp, 14 miles front Geraldine, shortly after ten this morning when returriing from' Dunedin to Christchurch. The four airmen escaped with a severe shaking. Atmospheric conditions were particularly bad, clouds being low and electric disturbances taking place in the vicinity. Air pockets gave trouble and without a moment’s warning the planes crashed almost simultaneously. _ The metal plane piloted by WingCommander Dalton was first to reach the ground. The undercarriage ,was broken and other damage was done. The wooden Moth crashed a few moments later, its undercarriage being - totally wrecked, the propeller smashed and considerable other damage caused. The field where the planes crashed is a tussocky, wind-swept waste. The marvel is that the occupants of the wooden Moth were not killed ,as the undercarriage ; was pushed up through the flooring of the pilots seat and the most exposed parts were badly smuslicd* A Government lorry was sent, from Sockburn and the wooden machine is to be sent to Christchurch for repairs. It is hoped that the metal plane will be sufficiently reconstructed to Uy to Christchurch to-morrow.