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Post by errolmartyn on Apr 20, 2014 13:11:14 GMT 12
Then there was Mosquito NZ2331. Following a dsiplay at Woodbourne on 23-5-52 the aircraft took off and the pilot spotted his parents car on the road , The pilot made a low run over the airfield and then attempted a slow roll at a height of approximately 200 feet over their car. The aircraft struck a tree and crashed into the ground. Flying Officer C. Walters and Sergeant J. Campbell both killed . This was about 1 mile northeast of Woodbourne Note that the month was March, not May. From my For Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Volume Two: Fates 1943-1998: Sun 23 Mar 1952 Return from Woodbourne to Ohakea 75 Squadron, RNZAF (Ohakea) De Havilland Mosquito FB.VI NZ2331 - took off from Woodbourne at 1000 with T.43 Mosquito NZ2306, both circling and climbing to 700-800 feet and, on being granted permission, making a descending low-level pass at about 300-400 feet across the airfield heading east. After the pass NZ2331 began a slow roll at about 200 feet, lost height and struck a line of pine trees 1 mile east of the base, disintegrating as it crashed in a paddock on the Caythorpe property. The pilot was buried at Omaka and the navigator is understood to have been cremated at Wellington. With only a few weeks before the type was scheduled to be withdrawn from service, the two Mosquitoes had visited Woodbourne to participate in an Air Force Day display the previous day. On hand to see him depart, and witness to the accident, was the pilot’s father. Pilot: 72250 Fg Off Cyril Melrose WATERS, RNZAF - Age 22. Navigator: 72314 Sgt John Raymond CAMPBELL, RNZAF - Age 24. And additional info from Vol Three (Biographies and Appendices): WATERS, C M – his brother, Laurence John Braithwaite Waters, died on 19 Aug 42 while flying with 226 Sqn, RAF. CAMPBELL, J R – funeral on 27th. Errol |
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Post by cj6flyer on Mar 8, 2019 12:19:49 GMT 12
Wellington Aero Club member Michael Phillips was killed during competition for the Bledisloe Cup Competition at the annual RNZAC pageant in 1951.
He was an ATC cadet who had joined the club the previous year and had been selected to represent the club at the competition. Will post accident details if I can find them or some reader may know more?
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Post by errolmartyn on Mar 8, 2019 14:15:59 GMT 12
Wellington Aero Club member Michael Phillips was killed during competition for the Bledisloe Cup Competition at the annual RNZAC pageant in 1951. He was an ATC cadet who had joined the club the previous year and had been selected to represent the club at the competition. Will post accident details if I can find them or some reader may know more? The following is from Part 7 of my Toll of the Air series appearing in the AHSNZ's The Aero Historian. (I understand that Part 7 is due to appear in the forthcoming March 2019 issue): SATURDAY 3 MARCH 1951 Canterbury Aero Club de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth ZK-AIM Whilst engaged on a navigation exercise in connection with the Bledisloe Cup competition at the Royal New Zealand Aero Club’s annual air pageant, at Harewood, at 2.15 pm the biplane was seen by Raymund D. Catherwood flying low at about 80-100 feet when it suddenly dived into a grass paddock on his farm at Swannanoa, 22 miles from Christchurch. The solo pilot was seriously injured on being thrown about 40 feet clear upon impact and died the following day. Catherwood later stated that he thought the Tiger Moth’s engine had cut out as it went into the dive. † Michael Vincent PHILLIPS, aged 19 (Karori Cemetery, Wellington) Phillips had begun flying with the Wellington Aero Club as an ATC cadet in January 1950 and later joined the club as a flying member. He obtained his Pilot’s ‘A’ Licence (3952) in August. An obituary note by the club remarked that as a very keen pilot he combined a natural flying ability with an earnest desire to learn the intricacies of airmanship with the result that he was chosen as our Bledisloe Cup representative. Errol |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2019 19:47:40 GMT 12
Alpine Helicopters had a Hughes 500 come apart dramatically at an airshow in the early 1980s following a tailrotor driveshaft failure - no injuries but somewhere there is a specactular series of photos taken from altogether too close - it took some time for the photographer to realise that parts of chopper were landing around him. I'm not sure if it's the same incident, but this post by Bruce reminded me of this incident Saw a Hughes 500 pull itself to peices (as only a helicopter can) during a "deer recovery" routine at an airshow at Masterton in either 1984 or 86 which was at Hood Aerodrome on 9 March 1986 - 33y ago tomorrow! - ZK-HUT flown by Richard Paku with shooter Duncan Sutherland: footage by Mario Geremia, his editingfootage by...whichever network broadcast Today Tonight, I guess? You'll recognise some of Mario's footage though |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 8, 2019 20:58:56 GMT 12
Wow that was a stunning display until the crash. Sad it ended that way.
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Post by madmax on Mar 8, 2019 22:19:51 GMT 12
A glider crashed at a RNZAC pageant at Paraparaumu while making a turn into wind, about 1962.
Mike Daniel bent the Wairapapa and Ruahine Aero Club Bolkow Junior while giving a "crazy flying" display during a pageant at Hood aerodrome about 1970
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Post by angelsonefive on Mar 9, 2019 5:45:56 GMT 12
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Post by cj6flyer on Mar 9, 2019 6:24:51 GMT 12
The following is from Part 7 of my Toll of the Air series appearing in the AHSNZ's The Aero Historian. (I understand that Part 7 is due to appear in the forthcoming March 2019 issue): SATURDAY 3 MARCH 1951 Canterbury Aero Club de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth ZK-AIM Whilst engaged on a navigation exercise in connection with the Bledisloe Cup competition at the Royal New Zealand Aero Club’s annual air pageant, at Harewood, at 2.15 pm the biplane was seen by Raymund D. Catherwood flying low at about 80-100 feet when it suddenly dived into a grass paddock on his farm at Swannanoa, 22 miles from Christchurch. The solo pilot was seriously injured on being thrown about 40 feet clear upon impact and died the following day. Catherwood later stated that he thought the Tiger Moth’s engine had cut out as it went into the dive. † Michael Vincent PHILLIPS, aged 19 (Karori Cemetery, Wellington) Phillips had begun flying with the Wellington Aero Club as an ATC cadet in January 1950 and later joined the club as a flying member. He obtained his Pilot’s ‘A’ Licence (3952) in August. An obituary note by the club remarked that as a very keen pilot he combined a natural flying ability with an earnest desire to learn the intricacies of airmanship with the result that he was chosen as our Bledisloe Cup representative. Errol Thanks so much for this information Errol! Am starting to update the history of Wellington Aero Club and piece together mountains of information. |
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Post by madmax on Mar 9, 2019 11:19:36 GMT 12
Hi cj6flyer, I too was on PP when ZK-GBN crashed and was at Hood also when Mike Daniel came to grief in Bolkow ZK-CJF.
Another airshow casualty to add to the list is Tiger Moth ZK-ALU which, following a wingtip striking the ground, it cartwheeled into a parked car and was destroyed. The occasion was an air display at Hamilton on 17/10/1957
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Post by aileronroll on Mar 9, 2019 13:11:50 GMT 12
I don't know whether things are better now than they were before the Rabbit Calisi Virus was released, but you cannot balme the airport in terms of holes. That area has been devastated by rabbits. When I was on exercise Wise Owl there in 1993 I went for a drive with the Duty NCO whilst on security watch one night, and we sped the ute down the runway. In the headlights you could see nothing but rabbits, an absolute sea of them. They tried to control them but back then it was uncontrollable. I too had heard whilst in the AFC hangar that the Fokker hit a rabbit hole. The photos remind me that the Sopwith camel had a similar ding at Masterton last year (or 2005?), but I can't recall if it was during a flying display. Also recently I found out Mark Hanna bellied the OFMC's P-40E before the 1998 show at Wanaka, and it was rebuilt within days to fly at the show. |
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Post by aileronroll on Mar 9, 2019 13:18:41 GMT 12
Dave, I had no idea Mark Hanna had bellied the AFC P40. Must have been a massive effort to get it sorted for show day!
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Post by madmax on Mar 9, 2019 13:22:29 GMT 12
Thanks so much for this information Errol! Am starting to update the history of Wellington Aero Club and piece together mountains of information.
cj6flyer, The December 2018 issue of the AHSNZ publication The Aero Historian contains an article on Rongotai aerodrome in which is mentioned Wellington Aero Club activities. This may be of interest to you.
Cheers, Madmax
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Post by delticman on Mar 9, 2019 13:42:25 GMT 12
Dave, I had no idea Mark Hanna had bellied the AFC P40. Must have been a massive effort to get it sorted for show day! I have an accident on 050498 for RMH at Wanaka but I don't think a brief was published. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2019 15:30:16 GMT 12
Dave, I had no idea Mark Hanna had bellied the AFC P40. Must have been a massive effort to get it sorted for show day! I have an accident on 050498 for RMH at Wanaka but I don't think a brief was published. They briefly mention it on the official show video. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 9, 2019 15:45:23 GMT 12
Don't ask me, I cannot remember that far back!   |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2019 16:00:43 GMT 12
Dave, I had no idea Mark Hanna had bellied the AFC P40. Must have been a massive effort to get it sorted for show day! I have an accident on 050498 for RMH at Wanaka but I don't think a brief was published. . The pilot's age is given as 69 so I think it may have been Ray, rather than Mark. |
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Post by Brett on Mar 10, 2019 16:37:09 GMT 12
Just to clarify, ZK-RMH was operated by the Old Flying Machine Company (OFMC). The Alpine Fighter Collection (AFC) P-40 was ZK-PXL which crashed on 26/10/1997 due to an engine failure, and was subsequently sold to Dick Thurman. It is now with Tom Duffy.
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Post by baz62 on Mar 10, 2019 17:28:12 GMT 12
I have an accident on 050498 for RMH at Wanaka but I don't think a brief was published. . The pilot's age is given as 69 so I think it may have been Ray, rather than Mark. Don't think it was either Mark or Ray. From memory it was a Kiwi? Tom Middleton perhaps? EDIT oh wait your talking before her first flight? Thats a new one. I would have thought a belly landing would have caused a lot of damage to the underside not to mention the prop and possibly engine. |
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Post by baz62 on Mar 10, 2019 17:34:46 GMT 12
Cant be 1998 as it crashed due to major engine failure October 26, 1997 wreck then bought by Dick Thurman.
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Post by johnnyfalcon on Mar 10, 2019 17:45:12 GMT 12
Baz, you're mixing ZK-RMH and ZK-PXL up. See the post by Brett above. I would have thought that Ray would have had more than 90 hours on P-40s
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