A FORCED LANDING

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 68, 22 April 1929, Page 7

A FORCED LANDING

HAWKE'S BAY AERO CLUB'S MOTH. RETURN TRIP FROM AUCKLAND.

Yesterday morning, Captain T. W. White, in the Hawke's Bay Aero Club's Moth 'plane, accompanied by Mr G. G. Stead, set out on his return flight from Auckland to Hastings. As the day wore on, however, and there was no sign of the 'plane, officials of the club naturally became anxious, the suspense being very marked when evening arrived and still the 'plane had not put in an appearance. Telephone messages were sent out to all parts of the route, and when it was ascertained that tlhe 'plane had actually left Auckland, tears were openly expressed concerning the possibility of an accident. At 5.30 p.m. Mr Guy Field, who journeyed up to Auckland in the Moth with Captain White, and who returned yesterday by car, telephoned Mrs Stead from Tarawera, to say that when he left Taupo at about 4 p.m., be saw the Moth ahead of him. This news was re-assuring to a certain extent, for it gave an idea of the location of the 'plane, but it also meant that the 'plane should have been in Hastings at least by the time the 'plane message was received. It was not until about seven o'clock that fears were set at rest, for at that hour, Mr Stead himself telephoned from Tarawera, dispensing the information that owing to the inability to penetrate the dense clouds, Captain White had had to make a forced landing about seven miles on the Rangitaiki side of Tarawera. Mr Stead stated that Captain White picked out a splendid landing ground and with great skill made a perfect landing, the machine not being damaged in the slightest. The pilot and his passenger stayed the night at Tarawera and intended to come on to Hastings this morning. There is no doubt that the nonarrival of the 'plane caused several anxious hours to many Hastings people.