ECCENTRIC British pilot Maurice Kirk has crashed in Japan, threequarters of the way into his solo round-the- world flight. The engine of his Piper J3 Cub, named ‘Liberty Girl’, lost power while crossing a mountain range. During the subsequent forced landing on to a road, the aircraft collided with a parked vehicle. Maurice suffered a broken arm in the accident, and his aircraft badly damaged.

The journey started back in 2001 when Maurice took part in the London to Sydney Air Race. Having flown his VFR aircraft all the way to Australia, albeit a considerable distance behind the other participants, Maurice returned earlier this year to fl y the WWII Cub back to the UK via the other way round the globe.

He was unable to get clearance to fly across Russia and after waiting weeks in Japan, he decided to fly across the country and put the aircraft on a ship to Alaska. He was on this trip when he crashed. W: www.kirkflyingvet.com