LEAD STORY: Glider crash sparks blaze

LAWRENCE GULLERY
A pilot instructor and his trainee passenger walked away unhurt after their glider clipped a power pole, crashed, and started a major grass fire south of Waipukurau yesterday afternoon.
The fire came within metres of a petrol tank at the Central Hawke's Bay (CHB) Aerodrome and stock had to be shifted as the blaze ripped across 10 hectares of grazing land.
About 35 firefighters from eight stations were dispatched at 2.45pm and spent an hour bringing the blaze under control. It was believed the glider had crashed about 15 minutes earlier.
Fire crews battled winds blowing from all directions which shifted the course of the fire at least three times; west towards the petrol tank, south towards houses on Hatuma Rd and finally east towards State Highway 2.
Rubber-neckers caused more problems for police and fire staff as two cars crashed, nose-to-tail, while their drivers tried to catch a glimpse of the fire from SH2.
Waipukurau Police Constable Paul Yarrall said the flight instructor, a 55-year-old man and his trainee, a teenager, were part of a national Air Training Corps programme at the aerodrome.
Initial police investigations suggested the glider had made a lower-than-expected approach to the aerodrome's runway.
``He [the instructor] has taken an evasive manoeuvre but his right wing has made contact with the power pole which has sent the glider into the ground,' Mr Yarrall said.
It came to rest almost on top of stockyards, at the rear of a hangar and near the front of the CHB Aero Club's office.
Mr Yarrall said the glider's crew was unharmed and managed to walk away from the crash.
Fire appliances, water tankers and volunteers from Waipukurau, Waipawa, Tikokino, Ongaonga, Otane, Ashley Clinton and Hastings arrived to help.
Powerlines staff were at the scene later to restore power to nearby homes while Central Hawke's Bay Mayor Trish Giddens visited police and fire staff dousing the smouldering grass.
Sparks from a power box which came down in the crash may have ignited the tinder dry grass, prompting words of warning about fire risk from emergency management staff.
Waipukurau Fire Brigade deputy chief fire officer Owen Spotswood said the risk of grass fires was high in Central Hawke's Bay.
``You can see what's happened here. Last Saturday we put out a fire which had reignited ... we are in a real danger situation,' he said.
Mr Spotswood, who co-ordinated the fire crews yesterday, said he was particularly worried about people throwing cigarette butts out of car windows which could easily start a fire.
``We need to be vigilant, each and everyone of us,' he said.
BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR FLIGHT CADETS
It was back to the job at hand today for a group of Air Training Corp cadets after one of their own came down in a glider crash yesterday.
New Zealand Cadet Forces Squadron Leader Wayne Buckingham said the cadets were on a summer gliding camp at the Central Hawke's Bay Aerodrome, a spot the cadet forces had visited for more than 15 years.
Mr Buckingham said the teenager aboard the glider was from the South Island while the instructor was from a CHB gliding club.
``We have all of the flying (instructors) arranged by the gliding clubs, under the umbrella of Gliding New Zealand.
They are all qualified instructors,' he said.
The teen's parents had been informed of the crash but wanted the cadet to finish the programme. Mr Buckingham said all of the cadets were keen to head back to the airfield to continue their work.
``We want to finish our overall objectives and that's to give the cadets the opportunity for aviation experience,' he said.
Some of the gliders being used were from Bridge Pa in Hastings, Feilding and Waipukurau.