Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 29, 2024 0:59:36 GMT 12
From The Press, 26 April 1971. Was this recovered? Was the cause determined? He was hugely lucky to survive that!
Bid to salvage plane in sea
(New Zealand Press Association) NAPIER, April 25.
Attempts will be made tomorrow to salvage the $30,000 Lockheed Lodestar topdressing aircraft which plunged into the sea about a mile north-east of the Hawke’s Bay Airport, near Napier, yesterday afternoon, after developing engine trouble.
The twin-engine aircraft was piloted by Mr R. Misson, aged 40, of Napier, who stepped out of the machine uninjured and was rescued minutes later by a trawler. The Lodestar, owned by Field Air, Ltd, of Gisborne, sank in about 36ft of water.
A woman resident saw the aircraft crash about 3 p.m. and rang the police. All emergency services were alerted, and the Napier Harbour Board’s pilot boat Tautane was sent, but a fishing trawler, which rescued Mr Misson, happened to be in the locality.
FAST DIVE
Describing the crash today, Mr Misson said: “After spreading the load (his last for the day) I made a wide circle and was approaching the airport in a direct line from the sea at a height of about 500 ft, then out of the blue there was a tremendous bang from behind the cockpit The plane started to roll and dived towards the sea at 70 miles an hour.
“I managed to level her off before she hit the water. I had the undercarriage down and I think the wheel absorbed some of the shock.”
When the aircraft hit the sea it stopped dead, and then briefly submerged before floating back to the surface. Mr Misson scrambled out of the cockpit taking with him a buoyancy seat cushion.
“I noticed a boat not far from me as I went down. Luck was on my side. If it had been over land I don’t think I would have got off so lightly.”
Mr Misson said he was unable to say what caused the explosion as the aircraft had been running normally previously. Mr Misson has been flying since 1956, and topdressing for the last 13 years. He said this was his first accident in an aircraft.
Bid to salvage plane in sea
(New Zealand Press Association) NAPIER, April 25.
Attempts will be made tomorrow to salvage the $30,000 Lockheed Lodestar topdressing aircraft which plunged into the sea about a mile north-east of the Hawke’s Bay Airport, near Napier, yesterday afternoon, after developing engine trouble.
The twin-engine aircraft was piloted by Mr R. Misson, aged 40, of Napier, who stepped out of the machine uninjured and was rescued minutes later by a trawler. The Lodestar, owned by Field Air, Ltd, of Gisborne, sank in about 36ft of water.
A woman resident saw the aircraft crash about 3 p.m. and rang the police. All emergency services were alerted, and the Napier Harbour Board’s pilot boat Tautane was sent, but a fishing trawler, which rescued Mr Misson, happened to be in the locality.
FAST DIVE
Describing the crash today, Mr Misson said: “After spreading the load (his last for the day) I made a wide circle and was approaching the airport in a direct line from the sea at a height of about 500 ft, then out of the blue there was a tremendous bang from behind the cockpit The plane started to roll and dived towards the sea at 70 miles an hour.
“I managed to level her off before she hit the water. I had the undercarriage down and I think the wheel absorbed some of the shock.”
When the aircraft hit the sea it stopped dead, and then briefly submerged before floating back to the surface. Mr Misson scrambled out of the cockpit taking with him a buoyancy seat cushion.
“I noticed a boat not far from me as I went down. Luck was on my side. If it had been over land I don’t think I would have got off so lightly.”
Mr Misson said he was unable to say what caused the explosion as the aircraft had been running normally previously. Mr Misson has been flying since 1956, and topdressing for the last 13 years. He said this was his first accident in an aircraft.
