FLYING MISHAP.

Wairarapa Age, 4 May 1936, Page 5

FLYING MISHAP.

TOP OF ’BUS STRUCK DURING

SWOOP.

TWO PRESSMEN INJURED AT MT. COOK.

’PLANE LANDS SUCCESSFULLY DESPITE DAMAGE.

CHRISTCHURCH, May 3.

Flying-Officer F. Truman landed his Air Force Avro aeroplane at Wigram Aerodrome this afternoon without one of the landing wheels and without part of his left tail plane. These he had lost at the new aerodrome at Mount Cook, where he had been present at the official opening to-day. FlyingOfficer Truman brought his machine down otherwise undamaged and his passenger and himself were unhurt, a very skilful feat of flying-

The wheel and tail plane were lost in a mishap at Mount Cook, in which two other men were not so fortunate. After the official opening ceremony, Flying Officer Truman took off with Mr. Harry Wigley, a son of the managing director of the Mount Cook Tourist Company as a passenger to give an exhibition of aerobatics at an altitude of between 3000 and 4000 feet. He commenced inverted flying, rolling and looping. Then the machine dived from about 2000 feet and swooped over the aerodrome very close to the ground. He turned and dived down the valley again, swooping low, greatly to the alarm and consternation of the spectators. In a moment the undercarriage of the machine struck a parked motor ’bus, shearing through the roof, shattering the glass and tearing sheet metal as if it were paper. The impaot tore off one wheel of the undercarriage of the aeroplane and part of the left tail plane. The wheel was at once taken out into the flying field and shown to the men in the aeroplane. The pilot flew low for a moment as if undecided what to do, then pointed in the direction of Christchurch and flew to Wigram. The two men injured were H. Max Whatman, “Star-Sun” reporter, and Reginald N. Downes, chief reporter of the “Timaru Herald.” They were sitting in the ’bus which the aeroplane struck. Whatman suffered from shock and was cut by flying glass. His spectacles were smashed but his eyes escaped injury. Downes was also cut and suffered from shock but not so seriously. Whatman was brought to Christchurch by another aeroplane for medical attention.—(P.A.)