FORGED LANDING

Wairarapa Daily Times, 3 May 1937, Page 6

FORGED LANDING

BY MASTERTON PILOT. Soon after taking off from the Blenheim Aerodrome on a flight to Masterton on Friday afternoon, Mr. K. R. Johnston, pilot-instructor of the Wairarapa Aero Club, made a forced landing at Ocean Bay, near Port Underwood. i - , The engine of his machine, Avro Avian ZK-ADQ, cut out owing to magneto trouble, and the pilot had to make a hurried selection of a landing ground in hilly country. He succeeded in making an excellent landing on a rough, sloping paddock without injury to himself and only slight damage to the machine. Mr. Johnston was making a return flight to Masterton from Christchurch, where he attended a blind flying course. Ho called at the Blenheim Aerodrome at 3.20 p.m. and took off fifteen minutes later. He followed the usual eross-Strait course, going some miles up the coast before turning to fly over the sea and was just preparing to gain height for this stage of the journey when the engine cut out. With the machine losing height rapidly he was forced to make the best landing he could under the conditions, and the most likely-looking ground from the air appeared to be a cleared paddock which, on closer inspection, proved to be sloping and on difficult country. Mr. Johnston succeeded in bringing the machine down to a safe landing, with only slight crumpling of the undercarriage. Mr Johnston himself was unhurt and he quickly devoted his attention to securing the machine for the night. He spent the night at the homestead of a settler and went to Blenheim by launch on Saturday morning. On Saturday afternoon he travelled to Wellington by the commercial air service and returned to Masterton. What steps will be taken to remove the machine from its resting place are yet uncertain but the probability is that sea transport will be necessary. Mr. Johnston said that only minor repairs would be necessary to put it in flying order, but unfortunately it was quite out of the question to take off from its present position. The machine is the property of Mr. Johnston.