Devon Missing With Three Men

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32265, 7 April 1970, Page 1

Devon Missing With Three Men

An R.N.Z.A.F. Devon aircraft with three men is believed to have crashed in North Otago yesterday afternoon.

Those on board are Flight Lieutenant A. R. Gill, aged 25, married with one child, of Christchurch; Master Signaller J. W. Karauria, aged 37, married with three children, of Christchurch; and Acting Pilot Officer H. R. Carpenter, aged 21, single, of Rangiora.

Flight Lieutenant Gill was captain of the aircraft and Pilot Officer Carpenter was its navigator.

The Devon was one of several R.N.Z.A.F. aircraft stationed at Queenstown to take part in a course for trainee pilots and navigators in advanced flying training, including cross-country flights from an advanced base.

The flight on which the aircraft disappeared was one of many such flights flown since flying began from Queen* town on Sunday.

The Devon left Queenstown at 1.20 p.m. to fly up the South Island on a course to the east of a line joining Queenstown and Omarama and then back to Queenstown on the west side of that line after turning at Omarama. The leg home included a dog-leg. The Devon was due at Queenstown at 3.18 pjn. It

' carried fuel for three hours and a half flying and was ’ reported overdue at 3.45 p.m. Last Sighting The last sighting of the i Devon was at 2.20 p.m. near Benmore, almost due east of Omarama. Soon after 4 p.m. two Harvards and a second Devon, which were at Queenstown, left and searched east and . west of the missing aircraft’s r intended track but at nightfall all three aircraft had ' returned to Queenstown without sighting the missing Devon. At 7-18 pan. an Orion left i Whenuapai for the search i area, it was hoped that the : sophisticated electronic i equipment in the Orion would be able to locate signals from Search and Rescue Beacon Equipment (5.A.R.8.E.) which the Devon carried.

Tire S.A.R.B.E. signal has to be put into operation

manually. The weather in the area was described as fairly good. When the Devon had been reported overdue the signal from Queenstown was passed to the Search and Rescue coordination centre at Christchurch Airport which was opened at 4.15 p.m. “Very Experienced” The search controller, Squadron Leader J. M. Terry, said that the pilot of the missing Devon was “very experienced.” One engine had probably failed and the pilot had been unable to climb out of the valley on one engine. Squadron Leader Terry said. He was optimistic that the crew would be safe. “The pilot is a good one and may have been able to land in a riverbed. The plane can land in 100 yards if it has to, although it might end up a bit bent.”