Fatal Topdressing Aircraft Crash

A 24 year-old single Canadian topdressing pilot, Mr Albert Liebe, who was employed by Cookson Airspread Ltd., of Wairoa, was killed when his Piper aircraft crashed and burned, about three miles north-east of Tiniroto last month.

Working from an airstrip on Mr G. Mossman's property at Tiniroto, Mr Liebe had flown into a new area which he was about to work, but failed to return. Upon the alarm being given by his loader-driver, Mr Tony Francois, of Gisborne, searchers on horseback set out, and located the wreck wedged against a kanaka tree in a deep valley at about 1500ft altitude, approximately two miles from the airstrip.

Mr Liebe had been employed by Cookson's for about six months, flying 250 hours on topdressing work for the company. His aircraft was valued at over £3000.

×

 

• 

The completely burnt-out wreck of the plane, wedged against the kanaka tree

×

 

• 

Cookson's other Piper Aircraft, which is a sister-ship of the one which crashed