ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 64597
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| Date: | Friday 3 December 1937 |
| Time: | 18:40 |
| Type: |  De Havilland DH.60GIII Gipsy Moth |
| Owner/operator: | Manawatu Aero Club |
| Registration: | ZK-ABV |
| MSN: | 806 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Miramar Golf Course, Miramar, Wellington 1 -
 New Zealand
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Rongotai Airport, Rongotai, Wellington, New Zealand |
| Milson, Palmerston North, New Zealand | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
c/no. 806: DH.60G [Gipsy I] registered as G-EBZY [C of R 1707] 28.7.28 to Peter W Hoare, Stag Lane, Edgware, Middlesex. C of A 1626 issued 15.10.28. Registration cancelled 15.9.29 as sold. Sold to Nathaniel S Chalmers, [a Fijian barrister] and shipped to Suva, Viti Levu, Fiji later in Sept 1929. Crashed into telephone wires on landing Albert Park, Suva after first flight after assembly 3.2.30.
Shipped to New Zealand 13.2.30 for repairs. Sold 7.3.30 to Bryant House Airways, Te Rapa; registration ZK-ABV allocated. Crashed whilst joyriding Te Awamutu (still marked as G-EBZY) 21.5.30; pilot Capt. A.W. Saunders and passenger A.W. Minchin killed.
Rebuilt 1933 by Air Survey & Transport Ltd and fitted with Gipsy III engine (taken from DH.80A Puss Moth ZK-ABR - and officially redesignated as DH.60GIII); re-registered to them as ZK-ABV 27.2.33. Re-registered 10.3.34 to Manawatu Aero Club, Palmerston North. Crashed near Taihape 11.12.35 after striking overhead HT wires; pilot F/O G.M. Firth; rebuilt and re-flown in July 1936
Crashed 3.12.37 at Miramar Golf Course, Stewart Duff Drive, Miramar, Wellington, New Zealand. The Moth took off from Rongotai Airport into a South-South East breeze of 12 to 18 mph, bound for Palmerston North. It carried two persons, both 'A' Licence (private) pilots. According to a contemporary local newspaper report ("Evening Post", 4 December 1937, Page 10)
CRASH AT RONGOTAI
PASSENGER KILLED
PLANE FALLS ON GOLF LINKS
PILOT RECOVERING
The Palmerston North, Manawatu, and Middle Districts Aero Club's Moth ZK-ABV crashed between the first tee and the ditch on the Miramar Golf Links shortly after 6.30 p.m. yesterday, after taking off from Rongotai. The passenger, Mr. R. L. Elliott, was so, severely injured that he died without recovering consciousness soon after being admitted to the Wellington Public Hospital. The pilot, Mr. W. Smillie, escaped with severe shock and minor injuries, and was reported by the hospital this morning as making satisfactory progress, the shock sustained being the chief ill effect.
Piloted by Mr. Elliott, the Moth arrived from Palmerston North at 6.35 p.m. yesterday. It was joined by Mr. Smillie, who took the pilot's seat for the return flight with Mr. Elliott to Palmerston North, taking off at 6.38 p.m. The wind was a light but steady south-south-easterly, with a velocity of from sixteen to eighteen miles per hour, as shown by the Rongotai chart at the time. Taking off into the wind, it is stated by bystanders, the plane took a left-hand turn, and appeared to stall when it turned to go with the wind, diving from an altitude of not more than some 200 feet
Golfers on the course who heard the airmen call out and saw the crash ran to assist the pilot who was endeavouring to extricate himself. The passenger was unconscious, and badly hurt, and was taken from the plane as petrol flames from the punctured tank began to spread. The impact of the machine with the ground was heard for a considerable distance. The fuselage was telescoped till the rear of the front seat was almost touching the engine. The undercarriage was torn off and the central part of the fuselage was wrecked, while the wings were torn from the struts. Instrument panels were shattered, but the tail of the machine suffered comparatively little injury. Mr. J. M. Buckeridge, assistant to the Controller of Civil Aviation, with other officers, inspected the smashed machine, which was dismantled by the light of head lamps.
Speedy and efficient work was done by the auxiliary fire brigade staff attached to the airport. The wagon was driven by Mr. H. P. Roberts, accompanied by Mr. C. W. Roots, the officer in charge of the airport, and Mr. Sheldon B. Smith, the ground engineer. The flames were checked before they damaged the wreckage.
Both men obtained their training with the Middle Districts Club, and held A licences- Mr. Smillie, as was Mr. Elliott, is a civil reservist pilot, and each had approximately the same number of flying hours to his credit, about 90, with more cross-country experience to Mr. Smillie.
Mr. Elliott was the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Elliott, 22 Colombo Street, Palmerston North, and was employed by Johnstone and Co., Ltd. He was about 22 years of age. He was educated at the Palmerston North Boys' High School and took a keen interest in all branches of sport, playing senior A cricket for Old Boys' Club, senior Rugby a few seasons ago for the United Club, tennis for the Palmerston North Club, and golf for the Palmerston North Club; At the latter sport this season he win the Goldfinch and Cousins Cup.
Mr. Smillie is one of the three sons of Mr. and Mrs. D. F. Smillie, of Palmerston North. He is about 20 years of age. His other brothers are members of the Aero Club, and his father a life member, having been president of the Milson Aerodrome before it was taken over by the Palmerston North City Council".
A Board of Inquiry set up to investigate the accident found William Smillie guilty of "culpable carelessness and neglect " and recommended to the Minister in Charge of the Air Dept that his 'A' licence be suspended for 3 months. The Board also disallowed the witness travelling expenses due to Mr Smillie for attending the Inquiry and ordered that he pay the sum of 10 Pounds towards the Board's costs and expenses".
Sources:
1. "Evening Post", 4 December 1937, Page 10: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19371204.2.74
2. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_ZK-.html
3. http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Airshow_History_1930s.html
4. http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-EBZY.pdf
5. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-de-havilland-dh60g-gipsy-moth-wellington-1-killed
6. https://www.ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/dh60.pdf
7. As G-EBZY: http://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/page-great-bitain-registers-g-eb/g-eb-part-2?highlight=WyJnLWVienkiXQ==
8. As ZK-ABV: http://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/page-new-zealand-register/gn-z-zk?highlight=WyJnLWVienkiXQ==
9. [photo]: https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/001125396.html
10. [accident 21.5.30]: http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Accb1934.htm
11. http://www.flydw.org.uk/DWZKAAH.htm
12. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p008.html
13. https://www.miramargolfclub.co.nz/history?ComeFromCat=1331
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 3 February 1930 | G-EBZY | N S Chalmers | 0 | Albert Park, Suva, Viti Levu |  |
sub |
| 21 May 1930 | G-EBZY | Bryant House Airways | 2 | Te Awamutu Racecourse, Waikato | |
w/o |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-May-2009 12:58 | XLerate | Added |
| 25-May-2009 16:42 | angels one five | Updated |
| 01-Jan-2012 00:07 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 01-Jan-2012 00:10 | angels one five | Updated [Narrative] |
| 01-Jan-2012 17:28 | angels one five | Updated [Narrative] |
| 22-Jan-2014 02:27 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 25-Feb-2015 11:09 | angels one five | Updated [Cn, Narrative] |
| 20-May-2018 05:01 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 09-Oct-2021 17:09 | Sergey L. | Updated [Source] |
| 23-Jan-2022 03:59 | Ron Averes | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 23-Jan-2022 04:11 | Ron Averes | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 13-Feb-2022 01:29 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 06-Oct-2023 19:06 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [[Location]] |
| 10-Oct-2023 13:19 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [[[Location]]] |
| 12-Nov-2023 02:49 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 14-Nov-2023 12:38 | Ron Averes | Updated [Aircraft type, Source] |
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