Prolonged Exposure To UV Rays Caused The Windscreen On Rod Vaughan's Aircraft To Fail
On March 29, 2018, a pilot and passenger departed Thames Aerodrome near the Firth of Thames in New Zealand for a scenic flight to the east coast. Having been flying for approximately 40 minutes, heading back to Thames Aerodrome, the pilot flew the aircraft over the open mine to the north of the town of Waihi. While both occupants were viewing the open mine at approximately 1600 feet above mean sea level, and at a speed of 80 knots, the windscreen failed catastrophically.