’PLANE CRASH

Waipawa Mail, Volume LXVII, Issue 102, 12 May 1939, Page 3

’PLANE CRASH

NIGHT-FLYING EXERCISES ONE MAN KILLED; TWO INJURED. CHRISTCHURCH. Last night. One officer of the Rovnl New Zealand Air Force was killed and two others were seriously burnt when a Vickers Vildebeest aeroplane crashed into a tree on the boundary of Wigram aerodrome to-night, fell to the ground and hurst into flames. The machine was about to land after nightflying exercises. Those involved in the crash were: — KILLED. Acting Pilot Officer Reginald James McCrorie. INJURED. Pilot Officer William Frederick Dawson, serious burns. Leading Aircraftman George Henry West, serious burns. NIGHT TRAINING. The official account of the accident is that the men were engaged on night-flying training. The Vickers Whilebeest, in which they were flying, hit a tree on the south boundary of the aerodrome as the aeroplane was coming in to land at approximately 8.15 p.m. The three men were thrown out with the impact, but the aeroplane dived into the ground near them and burst into flames. The aeroplane fell on top of Acting Pilot Officer McCrorie, who must have been killed instantly. The ambulance and fire-fighting equiument at Wigram were immediately rushed to the spot. Nothing could he done to save Acting Pilot Officer McCrorie, hut Pilot Officer Dawson and Leading Aircraftman West were taken in the Air Force ambulance to Christchurch Hospital. BURST OF FLAME.

An eye-witness said that the hurst of flame from the aeroplane was so great that at first he thought he was seeing an unusually bright aurora display. He was coming into the city from the south and decided to investigate. His second conclusion was that the light came from flares laid to aid landing for two aeroplanes, which he saw' flying with lights showing. He left his motor car and moved tovmrd the spot, only to see that the flames came from an aeroplane on the ground. A uniformed Air Force officer prevented his going any further, -though he was nearly half a mile away. “From what I saw of the aeroplane I presumed that any person in it at the time of the crash would certainly perish,” he said. Another man said he saw the aeroplane circling to come in for the landing. He turned his back and saw a great flash in the sky. A terrific explosion followed. He turned in time to see the aeroplane falling in flames tc the ground,