CAPTAIN J. C. MERGER A VICTIM
FIVE OTHERS INJURED
P.A. NELSON, This Day.
An Air Travel, Ltd. passenger plane, which left Nelson yesterday at 1 p.m. on its normal service to the West Coast, crashed on the bush slopes of Mount Hope near Kawatiri. The plane carried six passengers and a pilot. One passenger, was killed outright, and another died from injuries.
The victims were: —
Maurice Dawe, Hokitika, secretary of Air Travel, Ltd.; killed.
Captain J. C. Mercer, Hokitika, managing director of Air Travel, Ltd.; died of injuries.
Mrs. E. Russell, Westport, both legs broken; condition serious.
G. M. Strathmore, Wellington, believed fractured skull; condition satisfactory.
Miss A. Patterson, matron of the Buller Public Hospital, Westport, broken leg.
Flight Lieut. P. C. Lewis, the pilot, head, chest, and leg injuries.
B. R. Perry, Wellington, shock, fractured rib; condition satisfactory.
Mr. Strathmore is general manager of Macduffs, Ltd., Wellington, and Mr. Perry also belongs to that firm.
The trip to Westport was expected to take 1 hour 20 minutes, and petrol was carried for just over two hours. Flying weather was good on the Nelson side of the mountains, but there were isolated showers on the West Coast side. After 1 hour 50 minutes, when the plane had still not reached Westport, the fact that it was overdue was reported to Central Flying Control, Wellington, by the duty pilot at Nelson. Steps were immediately taken to organise a search. By that time the weather had deteriorated towards the West Coast, and over Marlborough conditions were so bad that no planes could be sent out.
PILOT COLLAPSES.
The first news of, the missing plane was received in Nelson at 11 o'clock last night from Mr. Arthur Hughes, a transport driver on the Nelson-West Coast run. He telephoned from Gowan Bridge to say that he had picked up one of the passengers, Mr. Perry, near Kawatiri. The plane had crashed in bush on the slopes of Mount Hope, about one and a half miles from the main Nelson-West Coast road. The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Lewis, had walked with Mr. Perry from the scene of the crash to within 150 yards of the road, where he collapsed as a result of injuries. The police at Murchison were advised and a search party was organised. When the search party reached the wreck they found that Mr. Dawe had been killed and that Captain Mercer had died from his injuries an hour and a half before their arrival. Matron Patterson, although suffering herself from a broken leg, had given first aid to the remainder of the party.
The search party, accompanied by the ambulance from Murchison, included Dr. Kurzweil, of Murchison, and Sister Owen, sister in charge of the Murchison Hospital. Another ambulance was sent out from the Nelson Public Hospital at about the same time. Dr. R. D. Lucas, of Nelson, and Constables Valentine and Squires accompanied this ambulance. In the meantime Mr. Hughes, the transport driver, and Mr. P. Diserens, of Gowan Bridge, had returned to Kawatiri to locate Flight Lieutenant Lewis, and they had him on the roadside when the party from Murchison arrived. He was treated by Dr. Kurzweil and sent.by ambulance to the Nelson Public Hospital, arriving there at about 4 o'clock this morning.
BRINGING OUT THE INJURED.
Dr. Lucas said that from what he could see in the dark and the pouring rain the pilot had made as good a landing as possible on a bush-covered ridge about four or five miles on the Nelson side of Kawatiri. The plane had crashed near a small creek, which Mr. Perry and Flight Lieutenant Lewis, had followed down to the main road. The bush was thick and the path very rough, and, although Dr. Lucas reached Kawatiri at 1 o'clock this morning it was 3.15 by the time he reached the plane. Rain was falling, and with only electric torches to help them, the rescue party had a very difficult task. Apart from relieving the pain of the injured, who were suffering from the cold, with morphia little could be done in the way of first aid. The two injured women and Mr Strathmore were tied to stretchers, and with six men to each the difficult task of bringing them down the rough mountain slope was commenced. It was 7.15 o'clock this morning when the party reached the road. The injured persons were brought on to the Nelson Public Hospital by ambulance, arriving shortly after 10 o'clock.
TRIBUTE TO INJURED WOMAN.
Dr. Lucas paid a tribute this morning to Miss Patterson, matron of the Buller Hospital, for her work in caring for the injured. She obtained morphia from the plane's first-aid kit and gave what relief she could to the other passengers.
The hospital reported that none of the five injured was in any immediate danger.
A DIFFICULT TASK.
Arrangements were made by the Nelson police to bring the bodies to Nelson today. The party will have a difficult task as the country in the Kawatiri district is rough and bushclad, with heavy undergrowth. The track to be traversed winds up a rocky creek bed and many obstacles will have to be overcome by the stretcher-bearers.
The plane was a DH 84 De Havilland Dragon of the twin-engined type, which was acquired by Air Travel (N.Z.), Ltd., six months ago after being reconditioned.
Wing Commander R. C. Kean, Inspector of Accidents, and Wing Commander R. A. Kirkup, Flight Superintendent of Civil Aviation, flew to Nelson this morning from Wellington. -Evening Post, 1/7/1944.
PILOT'S COURAGE
FORCED LANDING MADE
FAILURE OF ONE ENGINE
(O.C.) CHRISTCHURCH, Sunday. It is revealed that the Air Travel (N.Z.), Ltd. twin-engined De Havilland 'plane which crashed on Mount Hope on Friday got into difficulties shortly after leaving Nelson at 1.11 p.m. on Friday. Due to a cause yet undetermined, one of the engines failed. After a consultation, with the late Captain Mercer Flight-Lieutenant Lewis decided to make a forced landing. The country below was mountainous and covered with patches of bush. Visibility was bad, owing to mist and rain, but as the machine was rapidly losing height pot luck had to be taken. In spite of the odds, it is stated that the manoeuvre was skilfully performed and that the pilot showed great courage and resource. -Auckland Star, 3/7/1944.
NOTED PILOT
CAPTAIN J. C. MERCER
PIONEERING FLIGHTS
(O.C.)
CHRISTCHURCH, this day,
About 37 years ago in "men were never meant to fly" days, a gas-filled balloon rose from the open fields and hovered some 200ft up. Appended was a crazy "Basket" — a bicycle wheel with canvas around it, and a bicycle rim for a top — containing a young man who appeared to be less uncertain in the air than the balloon itself. The young man who paid his shilling for this precarious flight was John Cuthbert Mercer, who was to become one of New Zealand's greatest pioneers in the field of civil aviation. This was Captain Mercer's initiation in aeronautics, in association with "Bob" Murie at Invercargill in 1908.
Captain Mercer had 12,000 flying hours to his credit. It was estimated that he had flown in his time 1,250,000 miles, equal to 50 flights around the earth. He spent more of his life aloft than any other airman in the Dominion.
He secured his flying "ticket" in 1917 as a pilot of Canterbury Aviation Company's school, founded by Sir Henry Wigram to train pilots for service in the Royal Flying Corps during the Great War, instead of being sent overseas. He was retained as instructor, training many New Zealanders who achieved distinguished records in France. After the war the school was converted into a business; and aeroplanes were used for "barnstorming" and "joy riding," the flight being given often from paddocks quite unprepared as aerodromes in nearly every centre of population in Canterbury.
Pioneer Aviation Work The Canterbury Aviation Company inaugurated in January 1921, a mail and passenger air service between Christchurch and Timaru. The service lasted only two months through lack of patronage, and the Government took over the machines and aerodrome as the start of the infant New Zealand Air Force.
Captain Mercer then joined the New Zealand Aero Transport Company, founded by Mr. R. L. Wigley, of the Mount Cook Company, with headquarters in Timaru. Captain Mercer made one of the earliest flights across Cook Strait from Blenheim to Lyall Bay on November 21, -Auckland Star, 1/7/1944.
Full Story Of Tragic Crash At Mt. Hope
(P.A.) NELSON, This Day
Graphic stories of the air crash on Mount Hope on Friday afternoon, as a result of which two lives were lost, were told by two of the injured passengers. Miss A Patterson, matron of the Buller Hospital, Westport, and Mr. R. B. Berry, of Wellington. They and three other occupants of the machine are in the Nelson Hospital. The two who lost their lives were Captain J. C. Mercer, managing director of Air Travel (N.Z.), Limited, and Mr. M. Dawe. secretary of the company, both of Hokitika.
The aircraft which crashed was a twinengined machine owned and operated by Air Travel (N.Z.), Limited, which was on a flight from Nelson to Westport and Hokitika.
Until the plane struck the trees, said Miss Paterson, she had no suspicion that there was anything amiss. The weather was fine when they left Nelson, and remained so until Glenhope, when they ran into light rain. Visibility remained good, however, and the rain was not sufficient even to mist the windows.
Still In Seat
Before leaving Nelson, the passengers were strapped in their seats by either the pilot, Flight-Lieutenant P. C. Lewis, or Captain Mercer, and after the crash occurred Miss Patterson said she found herself sitting on the ground still in her seat. It seemed that the fuselage had fallen to pieces on striking the trees.
The pilot appeared to have been thrown clear, and was on his feet almost immediately, but he was very dazed. Mr. Perry had been hit on the chest and felt very ill, and she advised him to rest.
Captain Mercer was lying further up the hill and was pinned by the leg with one of the seats. The pilot was able to free him, and he rolled down the hill to Miss Patterson’s feet. At the same time, she noticed that the plane’s first aid kit was also alongside her, and she was able to give Captain Mercer an injection of morphia.
She would have liked to have done the same for Mrs. E. Russell, another passenger, who was some distance away, but as neither of them was able to move, this was impossible, and she gave herself an injection.
Go For Help
It was about two o'clock when the crash occurred, said Miss Patterson, and it was more than two hours later before Mr. Perry and the pilot were fit to attempt to walk back to the road, which they estimated to be about a mile and a-half away.
While Captain Mercer was conscious he and the pilot had attempted to work out their position in relation to Glenhope and the main Nelson-West Coast road. They could hear the creek quite close to the plane, and the men decided to follow this down. Miss Patterson added that she was very concerned that the men might lose themselves in the bush, because both were in very bad shape.
Mr. Strathmore left with the other two, but was unable to go very far, and he returned to the scene of the crash. He was very dazed, and finally he settled down and slept until the rescue party arrived.
Rain started to fall early in the evening, continued Miss Patterson, and it continued heavily throughout the night. Conditions were bitterly cold and the rain seemed to be blowing right into their faces. There was no food or drink, and the hours dragged slowly by with the hope of rescue in the immediate future seeming very slight.
Tribute to Rescuers
It was 1.30 o’clock on Saturday morning when calls of the rescue party from Murchison were first heard. Guided by a series of calls from Mrs. Russell and Miss Patterson, they were able to locate the injured, but in the thick hush it was half an hour before they were able to reach them.
The injured were given injections of morphia by Dr. Kurzweil, who accompanied the rescuers, and were warmed with drinks of hot coffee and cocoa.
Miss Patterson paid a tribute to the rescuers. She said that they were very lucky to have been brought out as quickly, as they were cold, and the rain was so terrible that none of them could have lived long if help had not arrived. -Northern Advocate, 4/7/1944.
FUNERAL OF VICTIMS
CAPTAIN MERCER AND MR DAWE
Hokitika, July 4. The funeral of Captain James Cuthbert Mercer and Mr Maurice Dawe, who were killed in the aeroplane crash on Mount Hope on Friday, took place at the Hokitika cemetery this afternoon in bright sunshine, with the snowclad Southern Alps as a background, and an aeroplane circling overhead.
Before the cortege left the premises of Air Travel (N.Z.) Ltd., where the bodies had lain since Sunday, an open air service was conducted by the Rev. H. A. Childs, vicar of All Saints' Church, Hokitika. The Rev. K. A Hadfield, Presbyterian minister at Hokitika, led in prayer, and the hymn, "Abide With Me,” was sung. At the graveside, the service for Captain Mercer was conducted by Mr Hadfield, and that of Mr Dawe by Mr Childs, while the Masonic service was conducted by Bro. R. V. Frederic.
The Air Force and Army were represented at the funeral and many beautiful wreaths from all over New Zealand were received. Among them were tributes from the Nelson Aero Club, officers’ Mess, R.N.Z.A.F., Nelson, Motor Traders' Association, Nelson. and the pilots and staff of Union Airways.
Among the messages Mrs Mercer received were tributes from the Minister of Civil Aviation, the Minister of Works and the Minister of Transport. Reference to the death of Captain J. C. Mercer was made by the Mayor (Mr A. E. S. Hanan) at a meeting of the Timaru Borough Council on Monday evening. “Captain Mercer did much to put Timaru on the map,” said Mr Hanan. -Nelson Evening Mail, 6/7/1944.
AEROPLANE CRASH
MOUNT HOPE TRAGEDY
EVIDENCE OF THE PILOT
(P.A.) NELSON, this day
Further evidence was taken yesterday afternoon by the Board, of Inquiry, which is investigating the crash of the Air Travel (N.Z.), Ltd., passenger plane Z.K.A.H.T. on Mount Hope on June 30, when Mr. Maurice Dawe and Captain J. C. Mercer, of Hokitika, lost their lives. The board consists of Mr. W. F. Stilwell, S.M., Wing-Commander G. B. Bolt and Wing-Commander H. C. Walker.
Percival C. Lewis, the pilot, a flight-lieutenant of the Air Force on loan to the company, said the plane was not equipped with wireless. From a weather report received from Westport that there was a cloud base of 3000ft. he judged that the route through the Buller Gorge was the better one. From the way the forecasts were supplied he took it that the Nelson meteorological officer considered one route the better, but not that the other was impassable.
Witness stated that the plane was travelling into a south-west wind, while the wind further up was more westerly. The plane got mixed up in the two winds. The plane stalled while it was on its side in a bank and fell away to the right. He then realised that he did not have sufficient height to come out of the dive. He had considered he had sufficient margin of height to cross the ridge. More height would have been safer, but less comfortable for the passengers. He observed no defects in the plane or the engines.
Flight-Lieutenant Lewis in evidence this morning said that Captain Mercer asked which route the pilot was taking, but did not express any opinion. It would have made no difference to the actual crash if the plane had been equipped with wireless.
Counsel for Lloyd's Underwriters quoted the Air Navigation Regulations, 1933, which stated that all planes to which the regulations applied shall be equipped with radio.
Continuing, Flight-Lieutenant Lewis said he knew the plane was loaded to within 18lb of the maximum, but that caused him no concern. -Auckland Star, 27/9/1944.
Hokitika Cemetery.
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