AIRMEN KILLED

Taranaki Daily News, 27 October 1932, Page 4

AIRMEN KILLED

CRASH ON TAWA FLAT HILL FLYING FROM NEW PLYMOUTH DIRECTION LOST IN MIST FATE OF GRESSER AND KING WRECK FOUND AT DAYLIGHT By Ttltgraph.—Prew Ajtociitlon. Wellington, Oct. 26. A Wellington Aero Club ’plane, which attended the New Plymouth Aero Club’s pageant at Bell Block on Labour Day, crashed into a hilltop near Tawa Flat in mist yesterday afternoon while returning to Wellington and both the occupants, Mr. F. G. Gresser, the pilot, and Mr. G. B. W. King, were killed instantly. The ’plane, a Moth (ZK —A AX), was seen circling over Johnsonville about 3.45 o’clock yesterday afternoon, but it, was not reported as having landed. The machine, which, had left New Plymouth at 8.30 a.m., stopped at Wanganui and at Palmerston North, where the petrol tank was refilled, the machine leaving there at 2.15 for the last stage of the journey. Conflicting reports as to the movements of the ’plane in the vicinity of Johnsonville Were current at Wellington last evening, but one credible witness, a police constable, said he saw the machine at Johnsonville shortly after 3 o’clock. It had come from the direction of Palmerston North, but when over the township turned round and proceeded toward Palmerston again. About half an hour later he again saw the machine approaching from the direction of Wellington. On this occasion also it turned about, and he did not see it again. The engine was running normally. , • ■ A search by air was instituted at daybreak to-day and the ’plane was found at 5.30 wrecked on top of Colonial Knob, which is a trig station on the hills to the north of Tawa Flat. MACHINE BADLY WRECKED. The ’plane was badly smashed, the engine being torn from the chassis. The bodies were brought into Wellington about 9.30 a.m. ’ The ’plane was seen at Tawa Flat about 3.45 yesterday afternoon headed towards Johnsonville, and was - reported to have been seen again half an hour later flying towards the point where it was found. The hills at the time were covered with mist. ■ The wreckage lies about a mile and a-half from the main north road and is visible from. T&wa Flat. Starting the search this morning, Captain G. L. Stedman left the Rongotai aerodrome by air at 5.20 and, having a good idea of where the airmen would be, flew straight to the spot where they were found. Clouds were lying on the hills, but these lifted temporarily and ho saw the sun reflected on the wings of the plane. He made the discovery about ten minutes after leaving Rongotai. He returned at once and soon was on hie way back to Tawa Flat in the Wellington Free Ambulance, which was left on the main road, the party proceeding to the wreck on foot. It took about an hour to reach it over hilly grass country. They found the machine totally wrecked. Both men had been thrown clear, but had apparently been killed instantly. The watch on one of them had stopped at 3.33. The bodies were conveyed to the ambulance and so to the city morgue. The place where the wreck lies is the very top of a grass ridge close to Colonial Knob, which is 1540 feet high. It is surmised that the airmen on reaching Tawa Flat found the hills between them and Wellington enveloped in clouds and, after trying to pass over Johnsonville, turned back and headed for the coast. The clouds covered about 200 feet of high hills separating Tawa Flat from the coast, and the machine just failed to clear the crest of the ridge where it was found. ■ CAREERS OF VICTIMS. Mr. King was married and was employed by Charles Begg and Co. He was an enthusiastic member of the Wellington Aero Club but was not a pilot. Mr. Gresser has no relatives in New Zealand. His father and mother are in Australia. He bought a machine from the Government and learned to fly. He obtained a passenger-carrying license and had* 50 to 60 hours’ flying experience, including considerable crosscountry flying. Gresser was known to be a good pilot, and at Monday’s display in New Plymouth he tied with J. A. Pankhurst (New Plymouth) in the aerobatic contest. At one time ho owned an Avro machine, but he later sold it s to the Dannevirke Club. On one occasion, when stunting over Masterton, he had to come down with a' stretched rudder wire, but made a good landing. The theory generally held by officials of the aero club is that the pilot turned back from Johnsonville shortly after 3.39 p.m. and continued north until he estimated he was over Pororua harbour. He then turned seaward, seeking clearer conditions, but having misjudged the distance crashed into the hilltop. Only another five feet was necessary for him to have cleared the hill. It is evident the machine was flown straight into the hillside and did not fall from above.

The two victims of the crash will be given a combined funeral on Friday afternoon. FEDERATION CO-OPERATES TWO AEROPLANES FLY SOUTH. NEWS RECEIVED AT OTAKI. To join in the search for the missing ’piano, Flying-Officer lan Keith and Mr. 9. Green left New Plymouth late on Tuesday night and took off for the south from Wanganui in company with Captain S. Gibbons shortly after 5 a.m. yesterday. Perfect conditions were encountered and the day would have been ideal for searching. Flying-Offioer Keith had arranged with the Wellington Club that he would land at Otaki to ascertain whether the ’plane had been found before he crossed the hills. News awaited them there that the machine had been located and the two federation machines accordingly returned to Wanganui. Flying-Officer Keith and Mr. Green arrived back at New Plymouth at 3 p.m., the trip from Wanganui being made by road. A decision to co-operate with the

Wellington Aero Club in' any aerial tribute it might decide to pay to the memory of Messrs. Gresser and King at the funeral on Friday afternoon was reached at a special meeting of the New Plymouth Aero Club’s committee last night. If the Wellington Club does not send ’planes the New Plymouth Club will make arranc v mehts for representation at the funeral, and wreaths have already been ordered. The chairman (Mr. A. F. Sandford) expressed the club’s keen regret that such a tragic accident should have oe- ■> curred, and on his motion it was decid- • ed that expressions of sympathy be for- • warded to relatives and to the Wellington Club. It was decided that two pilots ba in-. vited to take a ’plaJie to Wellington for the funeral