OUT OF CONTROL

Waikato Times, Volume 114, Issue 19126, 11 December 1933, Page 6

OUT OF CONTROL

’PLANE PROVIDES THRILLS ERRATIC COURSE AROUND DROME. HEAVY COLLISION WITH CAR. There were thrilling moments at the Te Rapa Aerodrome yesterday morning, when a de Haviland moth, owned by the Western Federated Club, New Plymouth, careered around the drome with no one at the controls, to collide flinally with a motor-car. The ’plane had been flown from New Plymouth on Saturday, in company with several other machines, by Mr. Kenneth Bartlett, aged 22 years, a son of Mr. and Mrs. G. B. Bartlett of Hamilton.

Several flights had been made during the morning, and Mr. Bartlett gave the propeller of his ’plane a swing in order to start the engine and take off. The engine picked up and with the throttle ''•'’D opem commenced a wild career over the ground.

Pilot Knooked Down.

The pilot; although knocked down when the machine first moved off, Jumped on the moving ’plane in an endeavour to gain control, but it quickly gathered speed and he was forced to jump clear. Several bystanders made unsuccessful attempts to check its course by grasping the wings and tail, but it swept on its way. The machine commenced an erratic course, swinging out towards a place where two other machines stood. Fortunately, it deviated sufficiently from its course to pass these by a small margin.

Sweeping round in a wide aro the machine finally crashed heavily into a stationary motor-car, a new demonstration model, owned by Ebbett Motors, Limited, Hamilton. TJp to a few minutes before the crash the car had been occupied by several passengers, and it was fortunate that they chose to vacate it at that particular time. Some 20 people who were also In the enclosure contrived to avoid the uncontrolled machine. ’Plane and Car Damaged. The oar was practically split In halves by the collision. The ’plane was fortunate in coming out of such a severe Impact with only an extensively damaged undercarriage, wings and a shattered propeller. Mr. Bartlett, who reoelved bruises to the back in attempting to stop the machine, returned to New Plymouth yesterday by motor-car.