Date:	Thursday 20 June 1935
Time:	11:00 LT
Type:	de Havilland DH.60GIII Moth Major
Owner/operator:	West Coast United Aero Club
Registration:	ZK-ADO
MSN:	5120
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Waiho, West Coast -   New Zealand
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:	Hokitika Airport, Hokitika (HK/NZHK)
Destination airport:	Waiho, West Coast

Narrative:
c/no. 5120: DH 60GIII Moth Major [Gipsy Major engine #5872] delivered to Dominion of New Zealand with C of A 4680 issued 1.2.35. Registered ZK-ADO 3.35 to West Coast United Aero Club, Greymouth; delivered 23.5.35.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 20.6.35: Crashed while attempting to land at Waiho, West Coast, New Zealand, it appears that a bundle of newspapers jammed vital controls at the wrong moment. The aircraft crashed and caught fire, the pilot was able to extricate himself, but could not rescue the passenger from the burning aircraft.

Pilot: Harold Thomas Lawn, jumped from aircraft and survived injured
Passenger: Esther Jean Newman (aged 58) - killed

According to a contemporary local newspaper report (Christchurch Star, 20 June 1935, Page 11):

"PLANE IN FLAMES.
Woman Burned to Death at Waiho.
PILOT GRAVELY INJURED.
Made Desperate Effort to Rescue Passenger from Blazing Machine.
GREYMOUTH, This Day.

DESPITE THE HEROIC EFFORTS of the pilot, whose clothes were ablaze, to extricate her from the burning wreckage of the Moth plane ZK-ADO, which crashed at Waiho at 11 o’clock this morning, Mrs William Newman, of Hokitika, was burnt to death. The plane crashed in flames, but the pilot, Mr Harold Lawn, of Hokitika, was able to jump out almost as soon as it came down. With his flying attire in flames, he struggled over the passenger’s cockpit, in an endeavour to extricate Mrs Newman, who was unable to help herself. When spectators arrived at the scene of the crash it was obvious that Mrs Newman was beyond aid, but Mr Lawn, who was in a dazed condition, was continuing his efforts to rescue his passenger. He had to be pulled away to safety. He was later taken to Hospital suffering from serious burns.

Mr Lawn, who is a son of Mr A. H. Lawn, a hairdresser, of Hokitika, is a member of the West Coast Aero Club, and holds a B license. Mrs Newman, an elderly woman, was the widow of the late William Newman, of Newman’s Motors, Hokitika. Ablaze and Out of Control. The plane, which was one of the new machines recently assembled at Wigram Aerodrome, and lent to the West Coast Aero Club by the New Zealand Government, is considered a total loss. Onlookers at the Franz Josef Hostel, which is only a stone’s throw from the landing ground, state that the plane appeared to burst into flames while in the air, and appeared then to be out of control. A cloud of black smoke was seen to come from the plane just before it crashed. When spectators arrived on the scene, Mr Lawn, with his clothes burning, was still trying to get Mrs Newman out of the machine.

INTENSE HEAT.
Intense heat from the fiercely burning plane prevented any further attempts at rescue, and, after Mr Lawn had been pulled back to safety, helpers had to stand by and see the plane reduced to ashes and twisted bits of metal. Mr Lawn suffered terrible injuries before his burning clothes could be extinguished. He was in a dazed condition, but was able to walk. It appeared to onlookers as if the pilot had come down to a low altitude to view the landing ground, which was under repair. He then rose again, and was in the act of turning into the wind to land when the accident happened. The plane eventually landed about a quarter of a mile from the landing ground, the machine resting on its nose and one wing. On Pleasure Trip. The ’plane, with Mr Lawn as pilot, and Mrs Newman as passenger, left Hokitika aerodrome at 9.30 this morning, travelling to Waiho on a pleasure run in the Gift Moth. The landing ground at Waiho has been receiving attention to the surface, and Mr Lawn, knowing this., flew low over the ground to gain some idea of the surface for landing. Satisfied with his survey, he went for altitude prior to landing. When descending, the controls jammed about 300 to 400 feet up. The ’plane careered above the landing ground and cleared two wire fences before crashing among some stumps in an adjoining paddock, when it burst into flames. Those engaged at the landing ground rushed to the scene".

According to some published sources, the passenger Esther Jean Newman was the first female civilian air fatality in New Zealand. She is referred to in some newspaper reports as "Mrs. William Newman" (which was her married name)

1. Auckland Star, 20 June 1935, Page 8: https://www.sooty.nz/miscairdeaths.html
2. Christchurch Star, 20 June 1935, Page 11: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS19350620.2.93
3. Hokitika Guardian, 20 June 1935, Page 4: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HOG19350620.2.23
4. Evening Star, Issue 22060, 20 June 1935, Page 10: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19350620.2.68
5. Greymouth Evening Star, 21 June 1935, Page 2: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GEST19350621.2.3
6. Patea Mail, 24 June 1935, Page 4: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/PATM19350624.2.32
7. https://ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/dh60.pdf
8. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-de-havilland-dh60g-iii-moth-major-waiho-1-killed
9. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_ZK-.html
10. http://www.flydw.org.uk/DWZKAAH.htm
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waiho_River
12. AHSNZ, 1988, Journal, Vol 31 No 2.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
05-Feb-2022 04:39	Ron Averes	Added
10-Feb-2022 14:25	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]
20-Nov-2022 21:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
25-Oct-2023 07:11	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Time, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]]
15-Nov-2023 20:07	Ron Averes	Updated [Aircraft type, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source]