AIR FATALITY

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 47, 26 February 1936, Page 6

AIR FATALITY

Flying-Officer Owen’s Death AT MACHINE-GUN PRACTICE A DIVE INTO SANDY MUD (Per Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. When his aeroplane crashed into the sandy shore of Lake Ellesmere through failing to come out of a

dive from about 1000 feet during target practice, Flying-Officer Graham M. Owen, aged 26, of Owen’s road, Epsom, Auckland, received severe head injuries and died in the Christchurch Hospital at two o’clock this afternon, one hour after admission. The machine, a Bristol fighter owned by the New Zealand Air Force, was ruined beyond repair, the engine being the only substantial part salvaged. Flying-Officer Owen was the only occupant of the aeroplane. He was a member of the No. 1 A.C. Squadron of the New Zealand Territorial Air Force, which draws its personnel mainly from the Auckland squadron, .and began a ten days’ refresher course at Wigram a week ago today. The squadron flew in seven aeroplanes to carry out machinegun practice from the air on the north side of Lake Ellesmere. A

bombing tarket was placed on shore, and Flying Officer Owen swooped down from a height of 1000 feet to pump shots into it. but instead of the machine coming out of the dive at 200 feet it failed to straighten out, dived nose first into the sandy fnud and finally came to rest about 45 yards from where it first struck. The under-carriage was ripped off and the aeroplane turned over on its back and somersaulted again. Flying Officer Owen had not fired a shot. He was lifted unconscious from the aeroplane and taken to hospital. It appears that, too late, the pilot attempted to straighten the machine from its dive, for when it landed it scooped out in the earth a hole two feet deep and two yards long. The nose was buried in the sand.

One theory is that Flying Officer Owen, with all his attention concentrated on adjusting the gun sights from his seat in front of the aeroplane. overlooked the uprush of earth towards him until it was too late. The speed of the aeroplane when it landed was estimated at between 50 and '6O miles an hour. After the accident the target was moved FOO yards along the beach and the other officers continued the practice.

The machine was one of four Bristol fighters at the aerodrome. The type was designed in 1917. and this machine has been in commission at Wigram for about eight years, having been in use for some years before that. It is said- to have been in first-class flying condition. The inquest on Flying Officer Owen will open to-morrow, and the circumstances of the accident will be considered by a Court of Inquiry to be ordered by the Director of Air Services.

Flying’ Officer Graham Mackellar Owen, was the eldest son of Mr and Mrs W. G. Owen, of Epsom, Auckland. Always keenly interested in aviation he joined the Auckland Aero Club in July, 1929, qualifying for his A license in January, 1930. He was then only 17 years of age, and one of the two youngest qualified pilots in the Dominion. His instructor, Mr lan Keith, said at the time that he was a particularly apt pupil, and had qualified after only 7f hours dual flying. Flying Officer Owen was prominent .in club flying, and last year he won the CoryWright trophy in a bombing competition. He had been leader of the winning team - in the formation flying contest for the Thorne trophy, and a popular member of No. 1 (Army Co-operation) Squadron, New Zealand Territorial Air Force. Mr Owen"was promoted from the rank of Pilot-Officer to that of Fly-ing-Officer in August. 1933. He was studying this year for his flightlieutenancy. He was born in Auckland, being educated at the Auckland Grammar School.