AEROPLANE CRASHES

Taranaki Daily News, 18 April 1935, Page 4

AEROPLANE CRASHES

MACHINE FROM TARANAKI ACCIDENT AT MORRINSVILLE. MR. B. HAYBITTLE THE PILOT. SLIGHT INJURY TO OCCUPANTS. (By Telegraph—Special to News.) Auckland, Last Night. The Gipsy Moth aeroplane ZK-ACH, owned by the Western Federated Flying Club and piloted by Mr. B. L. Haybittie, Hawera, was wrecked at Morrinsville today. With Mr. Haybittie as passenger was Mr. Gordon Carter,. Morrinsville, a taxi driver. Neither was seriously hurt. Mr. Haybittie left Hawera early this afternoon and at Kaponga picked up a woman passenger, who he brought to Morrinsville. He landed on the recreation ground. After 15 minutes he prepared for the return flight, intending to take Mr. Carter as far as Te Kuiti.’ Starting from the south-eastern comer of the gound the aeroplane taxied for 200 yards to the west and rose to a' height of. 200 feet. The town was circled at a low altitude and the machine looped the loop. According to witnesses the aeroplane then went into a corkscrew spin and fell. It struck a small palm tree on the south side of the ground and crashed not far from where 50 spectators were assembled. It was stated that the engine was working and but for the collision with the tree the crash would have been averted. The undercarriage and pro- ■ peller of the machine was broken, the engine was wrenched from the body and the wings were folded up. The back portion of the machine was not seriously damaged and the tail was intact. The occupants were freed from their seats without difficulty. Mr. Haybittie suffered a cut on the forehead and was bruised. He also suffered from shock. Except for a shaking Mr. Carter escaped unhurt. Dr. C. H. King was on the ground and gave first-aid. He ordered Mr. Haybittie’s removal to a private hospital, but his condition is not serious. Mr. Hay bittie, who is a young man, was trained at Hawera by the Western Federated Flying Club .and is . the holder of a B commercial license. A lorry left New Plymouth this evening for Morrinsville to take the machine back to Taranaki.

The ZK-ACH some time ago crashed at Pihama when piloted by Mr. B.' Davies, Hawera, and Mr. Putt was killed. The machine was reconstructed at a cost of over £5OO.