Date:	Saturday 17 March 1934
Time:	c. 0845
Type:	De Havilland DH.60G Gipsy Moth
Owner/operator:	Auckland Aero Club
Registration:	ZK-AAL
MSN:	866
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	near Hawkins Hill, Wellington 1 -   New Zealand
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger
Departure airport:	Rongotai Airport, Wellington (WLG/NZWN)
Destination airport:	Nelson Airport, Nelson, New Zealand (NSN/NZNS)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
c/no. 866: DH.60G Moth [Gipsy I #93, amended to #32] to New Zealand Air Ministry without C of A; assembled by NZ Govt at Wigram 1.29. Registered as G-NZAW 1929 to Auckland Aero Club, Mangere (and painted as "NZAW"); Registered ZK-AAL [C of R 37] 1.12.29 to Auckland Aero Club.

Substantially damaged when crashed in cloud near Hawkins Hill, near the source of Red Rocks Stream, Wellington en-route Rongotai-Nelson 17.3.34. E W Boucher, president of Auckland Aero Club killed & club secretary L W Swan injured.

According to a contemporary newspaper report (Evening Star, 19 March 1934, Page 11 - see link #3):

"STRUCK HILL IN FOG
AEROPLANE TRAGEDY NEAR RONGOTAI
PILOT DIES FROM INJURIES - PASSENGER CRAWLS FOUR MILES FOR ASSISTANCE
[Per United Press Association]
WELLINGTON, March 18.
After a four hours’ struggle over rough, country Mr L. W. Swan, Secretary /of the Auckland Aero Club, reached habitation to confirm the fears that the Auckland aeroplane ZK-AAL had crashed in a fog yesterday morning. Mr Swan himself was injured in the crash, and he collapsed after giving the news. He left Mr E. R. Boucher, pilot and president of the Auckland Aero Club, severally injured at the scene of the crash. Mr Boucher subsequently died while being carried in a sling to the ambulance. The crash occurred beyond Sinclair Head, about two miles inland, in rough hilly country about five miles from Rongotai. Mr. Boucher had his spine fractured, his right shoulder dislocated, and wounds, on the, face. Mr Swan received injuries to his neck and also face wounds

The plane arrived from Auckland on Friday, and left at 8.30 a.m. yesterday for Nelson, intending to go to the pageant at Hokitika. There was a thick fog over, the Strait and' the surrounding hills, and the plane was subsequently reported to be overdue. Extensive inquiries were set afoot, messages being broadcast to the people in the Marlborough Sounds districts. An inquiry was made at every house connected by telephone, and an aeroplane searched from Wellington. The pilot reported that the visibility was shocking and no sign of the plane was seen. Its whereabouts were unknown until approximately 4 p.m., when a telephone message was received from the Happy Valley tea room, to which Mr Swan’s news was conveyed. Mr Boucher had to he carried over steep country for seven hours, and he died about midnight.

The party reached the ambulance in the early hours of the morning. The accident happened soon after the machine had left Rongotai, the aeroplane crashing against a hillside up in the cloudbank surrounding it, according to what Mr Swan said after his arrival in Wellington. The route to Nelson takes aeroplanes along the coast slightly inland, and the ZK-AAL apparently followed this line fairly closely. The visibility generally was low, and past the Red Rocks, the aeroplane plunged into the cloudbank from which the pilot expected his machine to emerge in a few seconds.

LOST IN ROUGH COUNTRY.
The cloud, however, proved to be much greater in extent, than he had anticipated, and he decided to turn back. A turn to the south and towards the sea was executed with the intention of bringing the aeroplane back on its track. Actually, the turn must have been greater than was necessary, so that instead of running parallel with the coast westwards and towards Rongotai the machine flew inland still in the cloud, and entered the high rough country south of Karon. Mr Swan states that they had been flying at an altitude of 2,200 ft shortly before the crash. The airmen suddenly saw the bill ahead, and Mr Boucher attempted to avoid it. He was not successful, but did prevent a head-on collision, the aeroplane wrecking itself along the 'hillside. Mr Swan, being the less seriously, injured, was able to help his companion a little. It was clear that Mr Boucher was grave y injured. His friend did what he could to alleviate his suffering by bathing his lips and attempting to make him comfortable, staying by his side until noon.

MR SWAN’S HEROISM.
Mr Swan himself was badly shaken and his neck was hurt, but at mid-day he set out for help. Between, then and 4 o’clock he walked and crawled down through rough country to the coast, following the stream which has its mouth to the west of the Red Rocks, and walking and crawling along the rugged shore to a hut, where he found someone to whom he could appeal for help. News of the accident was taken, to the nearest telephone at the Happy Valley tea rooms, where it was relayed to the city. The full measure of Mr Swan’s heroism can only be realised when it ,ia remembered that although injured himself he set out through rugged, difficult country that was unknown to him, and although in pain and miles from human habitation he carried on with grim resolution.

A search party set out when the message had been relayed to the aerodrome, but found the task of locating the machine more difficult than had been anticipated. After darkness had fallen a. second search party left carrying lights, and the machine was located late in the evening. The journey back to the ambulance took seven hours. The site where the crash occurred was in the vicinity of Mount Hawkins (1,417 ft), but it occurred on a smaller hill low down and about 150 ft above the bed of the stream. Mr Boucher was brought down to Mr Fitchett’s farm, on the Brooklyn Road, but the waiting doctors could only pronounce life extinct. To-day Mr Swan is suffering severely from shock.

THE SEARCH QUICK, EFFICIENT ORGANISATION
[Per United Press Association.]
BLENHEIM, March 18.
News that the Auckland aeroplane was overdue between Wellington and Nelson reached Blenheim on Saturday about 11.30, and within half an hour, as the result of organisation worked out in case of just such an emergency, the Marlborough Aero Club was able to. report that it was highly improbable that the machine had landed on this side of Cook Strait. With the aid of the postmasters at Picton, Havelock, and Portage every settler down the scattered waterways of the sounds had been telephoned, and no one had heard of or seen the machine. It was still possible, of course, though. improbable, that the airmen might have been forced down in some outlying island unconnected by telephone, such as the brothers, but settlers in all the localities were soon out in their launches examining the lonely coastline for traces, and as the afternoon wore on it became reasonably certain that the machine was not on this side. This view was reinforced when two Air Force aeroplanes summoned from Christchurch completed patrols on courses directed by telephone from Wellington right across the northern coastline of the island without detecting anything. The incident has directed local attention once again to the desirability of planes flying between the islands 'clocking in at definite stops, so that in the event of trouble the area to be searched would be known, and all attention would he concentrated on it at one time.

All the machines from the North and South Islands should report over Blenheim, and from the south to north over Wellington or Paekākāriki, but the regulation seems nowadays to be honoured more in the breach than in the observance. It is also pointed out that the shortest and safest course from Wellington to the West Coast is not via Nelson, but via Blenheim and the Wairau Valley, the route adopted by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith last week, and that unnecessary hazards are taken in flying in single-engine machines across the sounds. News of Mr Boucher’s death was received with profound regret in Blenheim, where he was well known and highly esteemed. [Per United Press Association.]

CHRISTCHURCH, March 18.
Two Air Force machines were sent from Christchurch yesterday to search in the Marlborough Sounds for the missing Auckland flyers. Instructions to make the search were given in the afternoon by Squadron-leader Wilkes, who ordered the despatch of two of the aeroplanes being used at the refresher course at Wigram. Flight-lieutenant W. H. Latt and Flying-officer E. B. Firth left in Moths for Blenheim, where they were to report for instructions.

They were accompanied by Pilot-officers G. M. Owen and J. C. Ashcroft as observers. At Blenheim instructions were received to make a search of the sounds. This was carried out, the flyers operating for some time after dark before they were advised that the missing machine had been found. The conditions for searching were bad, there being heavy low clouds over the sounds. The two Air Force planes returned this morning.

EXTENSIVE AIR EXPERIENCE OF VICTIM WELL-KNOWN BUSINESS MAN AND HOTARIAN
[Per United Feebs Association]
AUCKLAND, March 18.
The victim of the Wellington aviation accident, Mr E. R. Boucher, was managing director of Radio Ltd., and was a prominent Auckland businessman. This was his second term as president of the Auckland Aero Club. He held an endorsed A pilot’s certificate, and his flying hours ran into three figures. He had done many business trips round New Zealand by air. He was trained by the Auckland Aero Club. Recently he returned from a business trip to America, where he flew extensively. Mr Boucher, who was 43 years of age, was a member of the Auckland Rotary Club and of the Chamber of Commerce. Until he took up flying in 1928, he was a leading launching enthusiast. He was born in California, and was a son of the late Mr W. A. Boucher, who was head of the Agricultural Department in New Zealand for many years. He is survived by his wife and three young children. Mr L. W. Swan is a public accountant and auditor in Auckland, and has been secretary of the Auckland Aero Club since its inception in 1923. He has an endorsed A pilot’s license, and has a considerable number of flying hours to his credit. Last Wednesday he sat for the technical portion of a B pilot’s license. He is a married man with two children".

The Te Kopahou Reserve is a scenic, conservation and recreation reserve in Wellington in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on the south coast of Wellington, and features rugged landscape including the sea coast adjoining Cook Strait, and the high points of Te Kopahou and Hawkins Hill. The reserve extends from the suburb of Brooklyn to the south coast at Owhiro Bay, and westwards along the south coast to Red Rocks / Pariwhero and Sinclair Head / Rimurapa.

Salvaged and rebuilt by 16.9.35. Ownership formally to Auckland Aero Club Inc 22.3.35. Impressed as NZ501 1.10.39. Operated by 2 EFTS New Plymouth. Crashed when wingtip hit fence and overturned New Plymouth 22.2.41.

1. New Zealand Herald, 19 March 1934, Page 8: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sooty/miscairdeaths.html
2. Horowhenua Chronicle, 5 January 1935, Page 4: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HC19350105.2.19
3. Evening Star, 19 March 1934, Page 11: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19340319.2.95
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p008.html
5. https://ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/dh60.pdf
6. As G-NZAW: https://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/page-new-zealand-register/gn-z-zk?highlight=WyJnLW56YXciXQ==
7. As ZK-AAL: https://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/page-new-zealand-register/gn-z-zk?highlight=WyJ6ay1hYWwiXQ==
8. AHSNZ, 1987, Journal, Vol 30 No 2.
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Te_Kopahou_Reserve

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

22 February 1941	NZ501	2 EFTS RNZAF	0	New Plymouth Airport, New Plymouth, Taranaki		w/o
22 February 1941	NZ501	2 EFTS RNZAF	0	near New Plymouth, Taranaki		w/o

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
25-Feb-2015 10:59	angels one five	Added
20-May-2018 02:21	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]
20-May-2018 05:08	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]
10-Jun-2018 20:17	angels one five	Updated [Location]
23-Jan-2022 04:04	Ron Averes	Updated [Aircraft type]
24-Jan-2022 04:39	Ron Averes	Updated [Operator]
13-Feb-2022 01:47	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]
11-Nov-2023 13:51	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category]
12-Nov-2023 02:54	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]
14-Nov-2023 18:43	Ron Averes	Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative]