Victim ‘breathed aviation’
Passionate and careful pilot John Shuttleworth died in plane he built himself
The elderly man killed in a light plane crash at Matamata Aerodrome yesterday has been described as an aviation enthusiast, a skilled pilot and a safety-conscious flier who was loved by all who knew him.
John Shuttleworth’s scale replica warbird plane crashed shortly after 11am.
Emergency services attended the accident, but despite paramedics’ best efforts to resuscitate the pilot, he died at the scene.
It was believed the Morrinsville identity, aged in his 80s, was heading out for a morning flight in his a Titan T-51D, a threequarter scale version of the World War II P-51D Mustang he had built himself.
New Zealand Aviation chief executive Mitchell Coombe said Shuttleworth, who he had known for about four years, was well known in the community and was survived by his wife and children.
“He was a very close friend ... highly experienced and just passionate,” he said. “A passionate pilot who lives and breathes aviation.” Coombe said the keen flyer had been an active member of the airfield and aero club for at least two decades. He had also been well known in Morrinsville, having run a number of small businesses, including a milking machine store, a dairy and a greengrocers. Coombe said the plane was the pilot’s “baby”. He said no one had witnessed the accident, but the way in which the plane appeared to have nose-dived at the end of the airfield indicated mechanical failure. A neighbour of the aerodrome, who did not want to be named, said the aircraft had just taken off.
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“I heard him take off and the engine stopped and then a thump,” he said.
The craft had risen only about 20m off the ground before the engine stopped, he said.
The door was jammed and he helped prise the door of the plane open with the handle of a car jack, which someone grabbed from a car.
Police and St John paramedics arrived at the scene and pulled Shuttleworth out of the plane.
Coombe said the flying community was devastated at the loss of such a dedicated pilot.
“When these unfortunate accidents do happen, it really does knock us hard and our students and staff,” he said.
“We’ve just grouped together to work through it.”
The Civil Aviation Authority is investigating the crash. priced at more than $900,000.
Massey University Chinese marketing specialist Henry Chung said the promotion was an “innovative and bold move” by the agency, seven out of 10 of whose clients are Asian, mainly Chinese.
“Mercedes is traditionally seen as the most luxurious car brand among the Chinese, and this brand is associated with prestige,” Chung said.
“The returns on selling property is so high, the agency will have no problems in recovering the cost.”
Chung said apartments were often not the property of choice for most Chinese and extra incentives were needed to motivate them to buy.
Most preferred stand-alone houses with land, if possible.
James Law said the promotion was being offered in collaboration with Mercedes Benz North Shore.
He denied the promotion was aimed at enticing the Chinese.
The agency will start advertising the free car with apartment purchase offer within the next week.
Chelsea Bay Residences is a freehold development designed by Auckland architects, Leuschke Group.
Construction began in June and is due to be completed by early 2018.
Law acknowledged immigration rule changes will hurt the residential apartment market. “Many apartment buyers are parents of international students with hopes of moving.”