Date:	Saturday 1 February 1919
Time:	c. 1600
Type:	CAC Biplane
Owner/operator:	Canterbury Aviation Co
Registration:	Unregistered
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Riccarton Racecourse, Canterbury -   New Zealand
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Demo/Airshow/Display
Departure airport:	Sockburn Aerodrome ( Wigram)
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Flying instructor Cecil McKenzie Hill was killed when his aircraft broke up during an aerobatics display over a horse racing meeting.

The aircraft was a lightweight, tandem two-seat conventional tractor biplane of wooden construction, linen covered, powered by a single 30 horsepower Anzani radial engine, and first flown on 17 January 1919. It had made at least 4 other flights. It was the first aircraft designed and built by the Canterbury Aviation Company, New Zealand, a flight training school seeking to diversify after the end of World War I.

Mr Hill was performing a loop when one of the port flying wires failed, causing the other flying wire to fail too, leading to the port wings collapsing. The flying wires were made of ordinary piano wire, covered by a streamlined casing.

First airplane-related fatality in New Zealand.

1. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand - Air crashes
2. Grey River Argus, 3 February 1919, Page 2 - Air Tragedy
3. Sport Flying - Spring 2008
4. [url=http://www.gregorie.org/gregories/history/cfs_biplane.htm] Christchurch Library Heritage [/url
5. John King,1995, New Zealand Tragedies Aviation Accidents & Disasters, Grantham House.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
16-Apr-2009 03:02	XLerate	Added
16-Apr-2009 03:06	XLerate	Updated
08-Jun-2009 12:21	angels one five	Updated
20-Nov-2009 16:54	angels one five	Updated
20-Nov-2009 17:23	angels one five	Updated
02-Jan-2012 00:22	angels one five	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
08-Sep-2013 10:17	Anon.	Updated [Source, Narrative]
01-Oct-2013 19:14	angels one five	Updated [Source, Narrative]
01-Oct-2013 19:37	angels one five	Updated [Narrative]
29-Aug-2019 00:00	angels one five	Updated [Narrative]
15-Jul-2020 21:03	Ron Averes	Updated [Time, Registration, Source, Narrative]
24-Jan-2022 10:06	Ron Averes	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
25-Jan-2022 21:49	Ron Averes	Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative]
16-Feb-2022 20:19	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]
21-Feb-2024 07:40	RDV	Updated [Registration, Narrative]