Tiger moth ZK-AJV still missing

[thomarse]

Corrected my original post - thanks Ellen!

[lvdp]

Jan 3, 2013 14:54:26 GMT 12 Gary. said:

Hello Just a bit of an update, we finally managed to put a name to the chap standing by the wing tip of ZK-AIX in the photo. It was not Mort Vanderpump after all but a chap named Don Leeves, Don was a duty pilot at Bridge Pa and often used to ride a bicycle to the airfield as traveling by car once proved fatal when his friend Bill Esam was killed in an accident, Don was lucky to escape alive. Don had a brother, Bryan and wife named Ruth, Don was a close friend of Johnny Tacon and was said to be very upset when John went missing. Don helped out with the search for John and ZK-AJV he flew as an observer with Pete Van Asch in a Beechcraft and also searched in the clubs Tiger moths along with Bill Esam. Don passed away a number of years ago but his family are thrilled to have a copy of this photo of him as they had no idea of its existance...... ;D ;D ;D

Here is a photograph of Leeves and Vanderpump.

natlib.govt.nz/records/23178830?search%5Bi%5D%5Bname_authority_id%5D=-131635&search%5Bpath%5D=items

[lvdp]

Jun 21, 2012 2:42:40 GMT 12 chinapilot said:

For what it's worth I seem to recall that the C180 that Vanderpump lost his life in broke up in flight due fatigue from being 'aerobated' on previous flights...

I'm curious about whether a pilot such as MT Vanderpump would have had any clue or idea about this...? 

[Peter Lewis]

I suspect you are thinking of Wakeman's C180 ZK-BJC, which crashed near Cheviot in March 1960.

"The investigation found that :

" Cracks existed in the vicinity of the root end fitting of the starboard rear spar for some time prior to the accident.
The cracks were initiated by a sudden shock loading.
The cracks developed and resulted in the failure of the starboard rear spar, in the air. "

Air Accident Report No. 25/3/1060 concludes : " Opinion- The accident was caused by structural failure of the starboard rear spar in flight. "

The report noted, and condemned, the use of this non-aerobatic aircraft for aerobatics earlier in its history."

Vanderpump's C180 crash in  ZK-BGN is thought to have occurred when the aircraft became uncontrollable when either the crankshaft or a prop blade broke, probably from overstressing during constant ag-ops.

[kevsmith]

I was on the Auckland Aero Club Commercial Pilot Course Number 9 in October 1962. As part of the Course we had the then Inspector of Air Accidents, Ted Harvie, give a lecture on various accidents. My memory may not be as good as it was but he told us about a Cessna 180 that was determined to have had a prop failure inasmuch as one blade had departed the blade clamps during topdressing ops. They deduced that the pilot had been able to control the aircraft to the point where it was assumed that the aircraft had stalled as he had descended towards a creek where, again it was assumed, he was trying to put the aircraft on the ground or in the creek at the bottom of a gully. The impact was fatal with the aircraft finishing up in the creek. The investigation found the blade clamp mechanism had failed due to rusting/corrosion and apparently caused by the aircraft being almost always parked outside overnight with the propeller positioned vertically which allowed moisture to find its way into the clamp mechanism. From this accident there was a recommendation that the prop blades on constant speed engines be always parked in the horizontal position. All early model C180’s had two blade props and steel blade hubs. Several more blade separations are mentioned in a resume on Hartzell propeller failures using the original steel blade hub in more recent times including at least one other fatal occurrence. Putting 2 and 2 together I have assumed this is the accident to ZK-BGN. In fact one of the photos of BGN on the C180 thread shows the aircraft parked with the prop vertical.

[thomarse]

Hi all

I've just found this - no, that's the accident involving BST. There's also the very famous incident in which a blade departed BQJ followed by the engine itself and the pilot - the legendary "Goose" Erceg - managed to get her onto the ground with very little further damage.

[Antonio]

Nov 7, 2021 15:44:20 GMT 12 Peter Lewis said:

Vanderpump's C180 crash in  ZK-BGN is thought to have occurred when the aircraft became uncontrollable when either the crankshaft or a prop blade broke, probably from overstressing during constant ag-ops.

aviation-safety.net/wikibase/63907

[chbessexboy]

I saw this photo in a private collection recently. It doesn't appear to be an original, so I suspect it is already known. Posting here anyway.