FORCED LANDING.

Waikato Times, Volume 110, Issue 18406, 13 August 1931, Page 6

FORCED LANDING.

ACCIDENT TO ’PLANE. INCIDENT AT TE RAPA. PILOT AND PASSENGER SAFE. — Owing to engine trouble a de Soutter cabined monoplane, owned and piloted by Mr Stanley Blackmore, of Hamilton, was forced down at Te Rapa about five o’clock yesterday afternoon. Mr Blackmoj-e, accompanied by Mr W. McKenzie, dentist, of Te Awamutu (himself a sl/iTed pilot), had been for a short flight over the town and was returning to the Te Rapa aerodrome, when the engine stalled while the machine was passing over Forest Lake. A strong opposing down wind was blowing at the time, and realising that he could not volplane to the landing ground, Mr Blackmore turned and brought his machine down against the side of a low hill adjacent to the Te Rapa Racecourse, hoping thereby to bring her to a stop. The wind carried her on up the hill, however, where she taxied through a wire fence Into the garden of a house occupied by Mr W. Mclntosh, where It came to rest beside a fallen log and a bank of earth about three feet high. This caused the plane to slew round parallel with and hard up against the bank, the end of the wing then being within but two feet of the side of the dwelling. It was only skilful handling that prevented the machine from crashing through the house and capsizing. As it was, it came to rest quite gently, and although the understructure was carried away, the passengers were quite unhurt, while the fusilage and wings remained intact. The wings wero later removed and the balance of the machine was brought into Hamilton to-day.

Mr Blackmore holds an A certificate for flying.