ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 266770
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| Date: | Monday 27 July 1942 |
| Time: | 09:45 |
| Type: |  De Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth |
| Owner/operator: | 3 EFTS RNZAF |
| Registration: | NZ1429 |
| MSN: | DHNZ109 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Harris Field, Canterbury -
 New Zealand
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RNZAF Harewood, Christchurch, New Zealand |
| RNZAF Harewood, Christchurch, New Zealand |
de Havilland DH82a Tiger Moth MSN DHNZ109: Built at Rongotai from 100% local components. Taken on charge as NZ1429 at Rongotai 13.6.42. To 3 EFTS, Harewood.
On 27 July 1942, two Tiger Moths, NZ1429 and NZ839, collided in the air at Eyreton, Harris Field, 5 miles North of Harewood, Christchurch, and crashed. Of the crews of both aircraft, the pilot of Tiger Moth NZ839 (flying solo) survived, albeit with serious injuries. According to one account of the incident, in the biography of LAC Leonard Keat:
"Leonard was training to become a pilot at No 3 Elementary Flying Training School (RNZAF Harewood) in Christchurch. On Monday the 27th of July 1942 he was flying in De Havilland DH82A Tiger Moth II NZ1429 when another of the School's Tiger Moths (NX839) on a solo training flight overtook him at 0945 from the port quarters as it made a left hand turn. They collided and crashed out of control a quarter of a mile east of Harris Field, an auxiliary landing ground at Eyreton, 5 miles north of Harewood. Leonard and his flying instructor, Flying Officer Kenneth Sinclair Blair (NZ40962) were both killed. The pilot from the other Tiger, LAC R B Knight, survived with serious injuries. (He was later killed on the 9th of February 1945 while flying with 630 Sqn RAF).
It was thought that the fact the two aircraft were camouflaged may have contributed to the accident. Leonard was aged 29"
A contemporary local newspaper report (Evening Star, Issue 24258, 28 July 1942, Page 2) state the following:
""TWO MEN KILLED - THIRD SERIOUSLY INJURED (P.A.) W
ELLINGTON. July 27.
Two members of the R.N.Z.A.F, lost their lives and a third received serious injuries in an aircraft collision in the South Island this morning. The personnel concerned were:— Blair, Flying-officer Kenneth Sinclair R.N.Z.A.F., killed; wife, Mrs O, M. Blair, Wellington. Keat. Leading - Aircraftman Leonard Matthew, killed; wife, Mrs I. J. Keat, Rotorua. Knight, Leading Aircraftman Robert Baines, seriously injured;-father, Mr H. Knight, Waiuku. Flying-officer Blair, who was an instructor, saved his life by a parachute jump last September, when the wing of his aircraft collapsed. He was 28 years of age, and was a nephew of Mr Justice Blair. Before joining the Royal New Zealand Air Force about two years ago he was a judge’s associate."
Crew of Tiger Moth NZ1429:
P/O (NZ.40962) Kenneth Sinclair Blair (Instructor Pilot) RNZAF - killed in service 27.7.42
LAC (NZ.421062) Leonard Matthew Keat (Pupil Pilot u/t) RNZAF - killed in service 27.7.42
Remains of Tiger Moth NZ1429 Struck off charge 20.8.42 as reduced to spares. The report crash location of Eyreton, originally known as Eyretown, is a small village in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is named after Edward John Eyre, who at one time was the lieutenant governor of the South Island (then known as New Munster). It is a rural village located to the west of Kaiapoi, near the north bank of the Waimakariri River
Sources:
1. For Your Tomorrow Vol 1 (1915 to 1942) By Errol W. Martyn - 1 July 1942 to 31 Dec 1942 (Part B)
2. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/nz-serials/nzdh82.htm
3. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?25385-1942-Unaccounted-Airmen-Database-Reconciliation/page21&p=147906#post147906
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pNZ0.html
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pNZ1.html
6. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
7. https://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Leonard%20Keat.htm
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2921302/KENNETH%20SINCLAIR%20BLAIR/
9. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2920047/LEONARD%20MATTHEW%20KEAT/
https://rnzaf.proboards.com/post/293789
10. https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/kenneth-sinclair-blair
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyreton
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Aug-2021 18:33 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 15-Aug-2021 20:02 | SD | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Narrative, Operator] |
| 22-Jan-2022 02:16 | Ron Averes | Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Location] |
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