MISSING AIRMEN

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 65, 17 March 1934, Page 10

MISSING AIRMEN

AUCKLAND MACHINE

FLIGHT OVER COOK STRAIT

VERY THICK WEATHER

Anxiety is felt for the safety of a Moth aeroplane belonging to the Auckland Aero Club which left Kpngotai I Aerodrome at 8.30 this morning for Nelson and. had not arrived there at tho time of going to press. The aeroplane, which has a red (body and silver wings and is lettered "ZK —AAL," is piloted by Mr. E. E.-Boueher (president of the Auckland Aero Club and one of the directors of the. recently-formed Dominion Airways, Ltd.), \-and Mr. Boucher has with him as a passenger Mr. L. W. Swan, secretary of tho Auckland Aero Club. The aeroplane arrived;.at Eongotai last night, and it took off this morning for Nelson on the way to tire air pageant ,at Hokitika. When the machine was reported overdue arrangements were made for aeroplanes from Eongotai, Blenheim, and Christchurch to make a search. A message was also broadcast asking people in the vicinity of the coast or the Marlborough Sounds who had seen anything of the missing aeroplane to report to the aerodromes at Eongotai or Nelson, or station 2TA. A Press Association message from Blenheim reported bush fires in the Sounds, so that visibility over that area might be affected. Members of the crew of the coastal steamer Storrri, which arrived here from Lyttelton shortly before 1 p.m., report having seen nothing of an aeroplane whilst crossing the Strait. The fog was thick in places, however, and they considered it probable that the aeroplane had lost its way owing to bad visibility.