De Havilland DH.60 Moth accident at Te Awamutu, New Zealand, 21 May 1930 (G-EBZY)

Accident narrative

Captain A. W. Saunders was performing demo flights on the racecourse of Te Awamutu. With his passenger Alfred W. Minchin, he climbed to a height of 1,000 feet when the plane was seen to enter a spin. The spin was recovered from about 50 feet and the Moth was still diving when it impacted the ground. Both occupants were seriously injured and evacuated to the local hospital. While the passenger died from his injuries in the evening, the pilot died the following day. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces.

Probable cause (official findings): It is believed that the pilot intended to demonstrate a spin but made an error when, prior to the spin entry, he overestimated his height.