LOST AIRMEN FOUND

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21988, 12 January 1937, Page 10

LOST AIRMEN FOUND

HUNGRY BUT UNHURT

FORCED LANDING IN

MOUNTAINS

LONG WALK TO OPEN

COUNTRY

(PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.)

TAIHAPE, January 11

The lost airmen, Wilson Potaka and his cousin, Tini Potaka, were picked up by a motor-car on the Desert road, and arrived at Taihape at 1 o’clock to-day. The former has only a small cut above the eye, and the latter is uninjured.

Wilson Potaka, the pilot, in an interview, said he was following the official air route along the Desert road, and close to the Kaimanawa Ranges. He had risen to 10,000 feet above heavy clouds when the engine cut out. He tried to restart it but failed. He knew the locality well, and he contrived to land in a gully upright, but damaged the undercarriage badly. He and his compamon set off for the Desert road and walked about 40 miles over a succession cf rough hills. They found a prospector’s camp but no food, but they discovered some gelignite and used it to secure trout in the Tongariro river, as both were famishing.

MACHINE WRECKED

FINDING OF DAMAGED

AEROPLANE

(PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.)

PALMERSTON N., January 11. Advice received from Ohakune states that Major McGaffin, a Manawatu Aero Club pilot, set out at 5.15 a.m. from Waiouru, where he had stayed overnight, to search the mountainous side of the ridge, Mr L. Johnson, a Wairarapa pilot, taking the other side. Major McGaffin sighted the aeroplane in a valley below at 6 a.m. He reported the discovery to Tokaanu.

The machine was'" wrecked, having buried its nose in a hillside at the top of a creek half a mile east of the 5500 feet trig station at Waipakihi Peak, right at the head of the Upper Waikato river. The propeller and undercarriage were smashed, the tail was sticking up, an'd the back was and the forward section had collapsed. Returning from Tokaanu to Waiouru Major McGaffin saw a car with men waving frantically on the desert road. He circled but got no definite signal, and landed at Waiouru, whence a car was dispatched to meet Wilson and Tini Potaka, who had been picked up. With the exception of two Western Federated *Aero Club aeroplanes which are remaining, while their crews make arrangements for the salvage of the wrecked machine, all the search aeroplanes have returned to Palmerston North.

MR POTAKA’S FLIGHT

MISSING FOR THREE DAYS

The Gypsy Moth aeroplane ZK-ZOH belonging to the Wanganui Aero Club set out at 2.40 p.m. on Friday for Palmerston North with sufficient petrol for three hours’ flying. The machine did not arrive at Palmerston North, but was sighted over Waiouru at 3.45 p.m. The aeroplane was in charge of Mr W. Potaka, a quarter-caste Maori, aged 25, W'ho had with him as passenger his cousin, Mr Tini Potaka, aged 20. Mr W. Potaka was an experienced and skilful pilot, who had made many flights over the region where he had to make his forced landing. Aeroplanes from clubs in areas within air reach of the scene of the accident took part in a widespread search for the lost machine. It was seen from the air yesterday morning, but very soon afterwards the missing men were also found, having walked out to open country.