BADLY DAMAGED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 121, 25 May 1938, Page 8

BADLY DAMAGED

HAWKE'S BAY ’PLANE CLUB S LAST MACHINE OUT OF COMMISSION. [ Per I’i.s. Association.! HASTINGS, May 24. The last aeroplane owned by the Hawke's Bay and East Coast Aero Club was put out of commission when making a forced landing on the Napier aerodrome at 4.10 p.m. after the engine had failed when the ’plane was al a height of 200 feet. Neither the pilot (P. Barron) nor passenger (P. Jessop) was injured, although the machine was extensively damaged. The machine, which had arrived from Hastings earlier in the afternoon, took off on the return journey using the south-west runway and was making a left-hand circuit at a height of 200 feet. Barron made a crosswind landing, but as the wheels touched the ground the mishap occurred. The two lower wings and upper starboard wing were twisted out of shape, ihe longerons running the length of the front cockpit and the propeller tips were smashed off. One of the undercarriage struts came through the floor of the front cockpit and the passenger had a fortunate escape from injury. Barron, who has approximately JOO hours flying to his credit, is a capable pilot and those who saw the accident said that he was making a normal cross-wind landing at the time the undercarriage collapsed. The usual 24-houriy inspection by the ground engineer, Mr. F. Bowyer, was made at 5 p.m. on Monday, when there were no apparent defects in the machine. The engine was run up twice this morning and up to the time of the mishap was running well. The machine was dismantled after the accident and brought to Hastings on a motor lorry to-night. The machine is about four years old. It did valuable work during the recent floods. Until the Porterfield monoplane, which has been assembled at Hastings is granted a certificate of airworthiness, the club will be unable to continue its flying activities. This is the third aeroplane owned by the club which has been badly damaged within the last six weeks.