ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 140567
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| Date: | Sunday 21 March 1937 |
| Time: | 15:45 LT |
| Type: |  De Havilland DH.60G Gipsy Moth |
| Owner/operator: | Canterbury Aero Club |
| Registration: | ZK-AAI |
| MSN: | 869 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Hokitika Aerodrome, West Coast -
 New Zealand
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Hokitika Airport, Hokitika (HKK/NZHK) |
| Hokitika Airport, Hokitika (HKK/NZHK) |
c/no. 869: DH.60G [Gipsy I] delivered to New Zealand Air Ministry without C of A; assembled at Wigram in January 1929. Registered as G-NZAZ 1.5.29 to Canterbury Aero Club, Canterbury [painted as "NZAZ"]; delivered 1.5.29 (also reported as 30.8.29). Registered ZK-AAI 1.12.29 to Canterbury Aero Club, Christchurch. Crashed Wigram 6.2.30 [still as "NZAZ"]; rebuilt [by May 1930].
Crashed near summit of Mount Turiwhati 20.11.33; empennage and rpm indicator salvaged; remainder burnt on site. "Resurrected" in rebuild and re-flown 7.10.35 - source of rebuild not known but it was recognised by airworthiness authorities as being a fait accompli. How much of the original airframe was included in the rebuild is debateable... but it cannot have been very much!
Destroyed in crash following low level stall at Hokitika 21.3.37, during the South Island Air Pageant. Mr Frank Sharman, a member of the Canterbury Aero Club, was participating in a landing competition. The DH Gipsy Moth aircraft stalled and spun from a turn at a height of about 50 feet and crashed on the aerodrome.
The plane was extensively damaged and Mr Sharman suffered a compressed fracture of the skull when his head struck the interior of the cockpit. He received first aid at the scene from a local doctor and was then taken to Westland Hospital where his condition was judged to be serious. Frank A.H. Sharman survived his injuries and passed away in 1959 (22 years later) at the age of 49
According to a contemporary newspaper report ("Grey River Argus", 22 March 1937 - see link #1)
"CRASH AT HOKITIKA
CANTERBURY PLANE
Competing Pilot Injured
Tragedy marred the concluding stages of the Official South Island Air Pageant at Hokitika yesterday when a de Haviland Gipsy Moth aeroplane owned by the Canterbury Aero Club crashed on landing, and the pilot, Frank Sharman, of Christchurch, was gravely injured. Sharman was making his last descent in the senior landing competition at about 3-45 pm, and when he was about 50 feet from the ground, it was noticed that the machine appeared to be rather slow in landing- The plane then appeared to spin off a sliding turn, and the lower left wing hit the ground with considerable force, being broken across in two places.
The plane appeared to fall almost forward towards its left side, but righted itself. The undercarriage was extensively damaged, and the propeller blades were both smashed to splinters- The right wings were severely strained. The force of the landing evidently caused Sharman to be forced forward on to the cowling, upon which he struck his forehead. Evidence of the force of the impact was shown by the blood spattered on the windscreen. He was speedily removed by officials of the clubs and Royal Air Force officials, and examined by Dr William McKay, of Greymouth, who ordered his immediate removal to Westland Hospital. He was there attended by Dr Basil L Wilson, who found that his injuries consisted of a compressed fracture of the skull.
His condition last evening was reported to be serious. An operation on Mr Sharman was successfully performed at the Westland Hospital last evening, and at midnight the hospital reported that his condition, though still serious, was satisfactory. Sharman, who was the only occupant of the plane at the time of the accident, was fortunately spared the ordeal of being caught in a blazing plane. The petrol tank, above the engine, was leaking badly after the mishap, but although the petrol was running close to the engine, the efforts of officials to check its flow on to the heated exhaust pipe were successful.
An NZ Royal Air Force bomber, which was preparing to leave for Waiho under Flight-Lieutenant Cohen, was only a few yards from the spot Where the wrecked plane met with the mishap, and its occupants had a fortunate escape from injury. Flight-Lieutenant Buckeridge, Assistant-Controller of Dominion Aviation; who was judging events at the pageant, was a witness of the mishap, and' will probably institute an inquiry into the circumstances.
EARLIER MISHAP.
Piloted by Mr Sharman, the plane left Christchurch for Hokitika on Friday, but owing to the heavy fog prevailing over the greater part of the northern portion of the South Island, the pilot was forced to land at Maruia in the Murchison district, for the night- On Saturday, he proceeded on his- journey, but owing to the flying conditions rendering progress impossible, he landed at Ikamatua, where he spent-the night. He left again early yesterday morning, and lauded at the Karoro Airport before proceeding to Hokitika. There again fog prevented him from locating the aerodrome, and he eventually made a forced landing without damage on Mananui beach, about seven miles south of Hokitika. He had arrived at Hokitika only about two hours prior to the mishap.
On the journey from Christchurch, Mr A Bruning, of that city, was a passenger. He was only a short distance from the plane when it crashed' on the aerodrome, and was considerably affected by the sight. The plane was loaned by the Canterbury to the West Coast Club for use in the Boys’ Landing Cup events. By a curious coincidence, the plane bears the registered number of the machine ZK-AAI in which Pilot J Renton, of Hokitika, and his passenger, Air J. D- Lynch, of Greymouth, were killed when the plane crashed into the side of Mount Turiwhati early in the summer of 1933, under weather conditions similar to yesterday’s. Certain important parts of that machine were salvaged and used in the plane which was involved in yesterday’s accident.
The injured pilot is a married man, about 27 years of age, having been married to Aliss Olive Windlebrock only about twelve months ago. His father conducts a small goods and delicatessen establishment in Christchurch, and the injured man was employed at the shop. He was formerly a noted amateur speedway rider, a sport in which he established some excellent times. He was a trainee of the Canterbury Aero Club.
Immediately after the accident, there was a wild rush of spectators to the scene, but the police, together with pageant officials and others, formed a large cordon giving those dealing with Mr Sharman ample room in which to work. Throughout, the crowd remained orderly, and was not difficult to control.
The accident created a profound impression among the spectators, most of whom remained for only a short time after the accident- There was a rapid exodus of the public half an hour after Sharman was removed to hospital."
Hokitika Aerodrome (IATA: HKK, ICAO: NZHK) is a small, uncontrolled aerodrome located 1.9 km north east of Hokitika in the suburb of Seaview on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is also the closest domestic airport with scheduled flights to the town of Greymouth 40 km further north, the largest settlement on the coast.
Sources:
1. Grey River Argus, 22 March 1937, Page 4: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GRA19370322.2.15
2. Otago Daily Times, 22 March 1937, Page 10: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19370322.2.89
3. AHSNZ, 1987, Journal, Vol 30 No 2.
4. https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/15551_
5. http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/dh60.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_ZK-.html
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p008.html
8. https://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/page-new-zealand-register/gn-z-zk?highlight=WyJ6ay1hYWkiXQ==
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokitika_Airport
.
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 20 November 1933 | ZK-AAI | Canterbury Aero Club | 2 | Mount Turiwhate, West Coast | |
sub |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Dec-2011 04:45 | angels one five | Added |
| 27-Dec-2011 20:30 | angels one five | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Damage, Narrative] |
| 20-Feb-2016 00:00 | angels one five | Updated [Narrative] |
| 25-May-2016 05:06 | angels one five | Updated [Narrative] |
| 15-Mar-2017 00:41 | angels one five | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 23-Aug-2017 10:39 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 23-Aug-2017 10:40 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 23-Aug-2017 10:40 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 03-Apr-2018 13:53 | angels one five | Updated [Narrative] |
| 07-Feb-2020 02:26 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Narrative] |
| 08-Aug-2020 02:33 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 23-Jan-2022 04:03 | Ron Averes | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 10-Feb-2022 14:21 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 13-Mar-2022 08:46 | angels one five | Updated [Date] |
| 21-Oct-2023 14:26 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [[Date]] |
| 22-Oct-2023 17:09 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [[[Date]]] |
| 12-Nov-2023 02:40 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 14-Nov-2023 19:18 | Ron Averes | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 25-Nov-2023 15:00 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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