PLANE CRASHES.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20118, 13 February 1937, Page 7

PLANE CRASHES.

OOOUPANTO' LUOKV EBOIPE. INJURIES TO PASSENGER. (Special to Times) CHRISTCHURCH, Friday. A Spartan aeroplane owned by New Zenlami Airways, Limited. was completely wrecked when it. dived into a shingle bell adjoining a landing tic-hi at Stave-icy. ‘2O miles inland from Ashburton. this afternoon. The pilot. Mr John Kilian, was thrown clear by the impact, but the passenger. Mr Colin L. Austin ('l6). or Staveley. suffered a slight. scalp wound. Mr Kilian, who was trained by the Canterbury Aero Club. and has a B license. had brought a friend to Staveley in the machine. and ottered to take Mr Austin up for a ilipzht. The machine had just. taken nit when it entered a down-draught and dived into the had of shingle, crashing tlnally into a solid face of gravel. Six men working near the shingle pit. said the fuselage rrumpienl in two when the aeroplane hit the ground. and the engine fell straight through to the bottom of the pit. Uil from the A engine caught fire. but was immediate‘ * 1y suppressed with water from the bottom of the pit. .\ir Austin was dragged from the aoroplnnr and snhaeqnently wda taken to Ashburlon for medical treatment.