Date:	Monday 11 December 1933
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.60G Gipsy Moth
Owner/operator:	Western Federated Flying Club
Registration:	ZK-AAX
MSN:	1202
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Te Rapa, Hamilton, Waikato -   New Zealand
Phase:	Standing
Nature:	Unknown
Departure airport:	Te Rapa, Hamilton, Waikato, New Zealand
Destination airport:

Narrative:
c/no. 1202 DH.60G [Gipsy I #770] to Dominion of New Zealand with C of A 2263 issued 11.10.29. Registered as ZK-AAX [C of R 59] 24.3.30 to New Plymouth Aero Club, New Plymouth; Government Gift aircraft delivered 24.3.30. Club renamed Western Federated Flying Club 4.30.

Badly damaged when it ran away at Te Rapa, Hamilton, Waikato 10.12.33. While the engine was being started, the aircraft moved forward, knocked the pilot over and then collided with a parked vehicle. As reported in a contemporary local newspaper (Waikato Times, 11 December 1933, Page 6 - see link #1):

"OUT OF CONTROL ’PLANE PROVIDES THRILLS
ERRATIC COURSE AROUND DROME.
HEAVY COLLISION WITH CAR.
There were thrilling moments at the Te Rapa Aerodrome yesterday morning, when a de Haviland Moth, owned by the Western Federated Club, New Plymouth, careered around the drome with no one at the controls, to collide finally with a motor-car. The ’plane had been flown from New Plymouth on Saturday, in company with several other machines, by Mr. Kenneth Bartlett, aged 22 years, a son of Mr. and Mrs. G. B. Bartlett of Hamilton.

Several flights had been made during the morning, and Mr. Bartlett gave the propeller of his ’plane a swing in order to start the engine and take off. The engine picked up and with the throttle wide open, commenced a wild career over the ground.

PILOT KNOCKED DOWN
The pilot, although knocked down when the machine first moved off, jumped on the moving ’plane in an endeavour to gain control, but it quickly gathered speed and he was forced to jump clear. Several bystanders made unsuccessful attempts to check its course by grasping the wings and tail, but it swept on its way. The machine commenced an erratic course, swinging out towards a place where two other machines stood. Fortunately, it deviated sufficiently from its course to pass these by a small margin.

Sweeping round in a wide arc the machine finally crashed heavily into a stationary motor-car, a new demonstration model, owned by Ebbett Motors, Limited, Hamilton. Up to a few minutes before the crash, the car had been occupied by several passengers, and it was fortunate that they chose to vacate it at that particular time. Some 20 people who were also in the enclosure contrived to avoid the uncontrolled machine.

'PLANE AND CAR DAMAGED
The car was practically split in halves by the collision. The ’plane was fortunate in coming out of such a severe Impact with only an extensively damaged undercarriage, wings and a shattered propeller. Mr. Bartlett, who received bruises to the back in attempting to stop the machine, returned to New Plymouth yesterday by motor-car".

Subsequent History:
While being trucked back to New Plymouth, the truck caught fire and set fire to the aircraft. Airframe burnt out; the engine was the only major item salvaged. Rebuilt with DH.60M fuselage from ZK-ABT (c/no. 1487) by A.J. Dingle at Wellington; re-flown 18.1.35 after rebuild. Registered 7.2.38 to Western Federated Flying Club, New Plymouth. Re-registered 2.11.38 to Wanganui Aero Club, Wanganui. Impressed into military service as NZ506 10.10.39 and operated by 2 EFTS until mid.41 when withdrawn from use. To instructional airframe INST.40 and issued to Gisborne ATC (Air Training Cadets). To spares at Ohakea. Rebuild project underway by Glenn Thompson [late 2014] in New Zealand.

1. Waikato Times, Volume 114, Issue 19126, 11 December 1933, Page 6: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WT19331211.2.34
2. "Aeroplane Runs Amuck": Manawatu Times, 11 December 1933, Page 6: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MT19331211.2.39
3. The Sun (Sydney, NSW) Monday 11 Dec 1933 Page 10: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230196544
4. AHSNZ, 1987, Journal, Vol 30 No 3.
5. https://ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/dh60.pdf
6. https://www.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/page-new-zealand-register/gn-z-zk?highlight=WyJ6ay1hYXgiXQ==
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p012.html
8. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/archive/Archive_1981.pdf
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Te_Rapa

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-Nov-2023 02:57	Ron Averes	Added
25-Nov-2023 13:43	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Total occupants, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category]