AIRCRAFT FOUND

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25329, 31 October 1947, Page 8

AIRCRAFT FOUND

PROCTOR DOWN ON BIG BAY AIRSTRIP The Percival Proctor monoplane owned by Southern Scenic Air Trips, Ltd., which was reported missing on Wednesday, was seen yesterday on the landing strip at Big Bay, South Westland, by a Hudson air-sea rescue aircraft from Wigram. The Proctor appeared undamaged. The Hudson, which left Wigram at 5.45 a.m. yesterday, arrived at Big Bay at 7.6 o’clock and the crew saw the monoplane on the usual landing strip. Circling low over the area, the crew saw four men waving from the ground, and gathered that there was no cause for alarm. The aircraft appeared to be undamaged and the Hudson returned to Wigram, arriving at 8.30 o’clock. Police messages giving a description of the machine were broadcast on Wednesday evening when it did not return from Big Bay to Queenstown with a load of whitebait. Piloted by Mr C. W. Hewitt, the aircraft left Queenstown at 7.30 a.m. on Wednesday and was scheduled to return shortly after noon. The air search by the Hudson was necessary oecause of the lack of communications between Big Bay and other parts of the South Island. AIRCRAFT DAMAGED (P.A.) TIMARU, October 30. After the Hudson had found the. missing aircraft, Mr H. R. Wigley flew the Southern Scenic Air Trips, Ltd.’s ground engineer to Big Bay to inspect the Proctor. It had apparently struck a soft spot on the take-off and was damaged to an extent which prevented a second attempt. Mr Wigley brought Mr Hewitt back to Queenstown to-3ay, leaving the engineer with the damaged machine.