Little hope for pilot
Foul weather yesterday hindered the search for a light aircraft missing in hill country in Central Otago. The pilot and sole occupant of the single-engine Cessna 172 was Mr Colin Whittlestone, aged 61. a farmer, of Tarras. Mr Whittlestone took off from Tarras at 8.50 a.m. on Saturday for Alexandra. 60 kilometres away, where he was to have picked up a friend before flying on to Nelson. The flight should have taken only 20 minutes. Even if Mr Whittlestone had survived a crash, his chances of survival were now slim, said Constable J. H. Anderson, of Alexandra, last evening.
About 15cm of snow had fallen in the area on Saturday night, enough to cover the wreckage of an aircraft, said Constable Anderson.
The weather yesterday was “very cold." Mr Whittlestone wsa thought to have been wearing only light clothing. Two light aircraft attempted a search yesterday, but their efforts were hampered by ice, turbulence, and low cloud.
The police searched along the road between Tarras and Alexandra, in case Mr Whittlestone had followed the road, but found nothing.
An aerial search will start at 6 a.m. today, weather permitting.
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Press, 25 October 1982, Page 1
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193Little hope for pilot Press, 25 October 1982, Page 1
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