It is with great sadness that I am informing you of the death of John
Shuttleworth at Matamata air field today, 10/18/2016. John was as far
as I know the first to use a rotary engine in an aircraft in NZ . He
built and flew a 2/3 scale P51 Mustang. At this stage we have no
information as to what may have happened . The CAA will investigate
and hopefully we may know more in due course.
Andrew Campbell.
I am very sorry to hear that. Any info at all on what happened
Andrew.
Paul Lamar
That is sad indeed.
I do not know John, but was lucky to fly in and out of that airport
once.
Gordon Gao
Better pictures.
From news reports for what that is worth ????
Apparently he was not wearing a shoulder harness and he hit his head
on the instrument panel.
The dumb newspaper reporters also said he "dived" and "crashed" .
Hardly the result of a dive. That was a good off runway dead stick
landing. The airplane looks flyable.
Paul Lamar
Wearing no shoulder harness, that,s a bad habit that some older
fellows can't shake, my buddy is one, says it's more hassle to get
off in accident, I don't buy it, seems lazy to me. Condolences to his
family.
Steve Carlisle
Assume, since early email said it was a T51 that crashed, that it was
a kit built Titan. Is that the case. Also, curious as to whether
the several more 2/3 P51s at Tauranga Airport are Titans or some
other kit or plans built planes. My favorite airplane.
Van Van
Not sure what plan the others used. They are buddies and built the
P51s together. They are also buddies with Chris Wade but for some
reason did not use his rotary set up.
Gordon Gao
This is all there is so far here in NZ:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/85458905/light-plane-crashes-at-matamata-airport
http://gliding.co.nz/news/latest-news/
http://deaths.waikatotimes.co.nz/obituaries/waikato-times-nz/obituary.aspx?n=john-shuttleworth&pid=182013123&fhid=12697
https://www.facebook.com/SportAircraftAssociation/
Paul Randall
Somebody cut the cross member behind the front seat that anchored the
shoulder harness.
It may have been the police to get the body out. They are fond of
using a device called the Jaws of Life. Basically it is a huge bolt
cutter. It would cut through 1/2 inch chrome molly .035 wall tubing
in the blink of an eye. It makes it look like the seat collapsed.
Paul Lamar
It seems like a very stupid design to have a sharp metal plate sticking
up vertically on the back of the seat. Maybe whiplash caused him to hit
the back of his head on that.
Everett Rankin
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