’PLANE DAMAGED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21088, 14 July 1938, Page 9

’PLANE DAMAGED

MISHAP AT BLENHEIM By Telegraph—Piesp Association CHRISTCHURCH, July 13. Caught by a gust of wind as it was taxi-tog to rest at the Lake Grassmere emergency landing ground at Blenheim this morning, a Royal Air Force Vickers Vildebeeste aeroplane was overturned and damaged. None of the occupants was injured, but the machine was unable to continue its flight. The machine was in charge of Pilot-Officer Rae.

Three Vildebeeste planes left Wigram aerodrome on a training flight to Auckland, the first stop to be made at New Plymouth. Over Lake Grassmere one of the machines developed engine trouble, and it was decided to make a forced landing at the emergency aerodrome there, 20 miles east of Blenheim. The other two machines also came down. Just before the aeroplane came to a stop it was suddenly caught by a gust of wind and overturned. Tire machine will be brought back to Christchurch by road, and the other two will in all probability fly back to Wigram Instead of continuing on to Auckland.

The machine, which had developed engine trouble, landed on the emergency landing ground, and the two other machines followed it into the landing, the second of which was caught by a heavy gust of wind just as it was coming to rest, and completely overturned, states a Press Association message from Blenheim. Rough southerly conditions were prevailing at the time, with sleety rain, and one of the other machines had a narrow escape from a similar mishap.

All the planes, which were under the command of Flight-Lieutenant Cohen, carried a complement of three, but no one in the damaged bomber suffered injury. The machine Itself sustained a broken propeller blade and damaged wings. What with rendering assistance to the men in the overturned bomber and tying down the other planes in a gale, the crews had a hectic time, but further damage was avoided. Wireless contact was established with headquarters at Wlgram by means of the equipment on the bombers. It is probable the weather conditions will prevent the machines taking off to-day.