REPORTED CRASH

Evening Star, Issue 21721, 16 May 1934, Page 8

REPORTED CRASH

RUMOURED AEROPLANE ACCIDENT AT SKIPPERS A circumstantial story of the crashing of an aeroplane at Skippers, in the rough, mountainous country beyond Queenstown, was current in Dunedin at midday, but at 2.30 there was no confirmation of an accident having occurred. Communication was made by the ‘ Star ’ with Queenstown, and it was learned that there was nothing definite. It had been reported to the Queenstown police that a man named Beale and several others saw a plane in the vicinity of Skippers circling wildly in the air as if. in [difficulties, and then disappear. . That was at about 11 o’clock. At noon it was reported that a plane was seen overhead at Lake Hayes, and it was thought that it might possibly have been the same one as was reported to have been seen in difficulties at Skippers. A search’ is being made in the Skippers district ip the area of the supposed crash, and arrangements have been made for the men searching to signal by means of fire if there has been any trouble.

The police at Queenstown ascertained that no planes from Dunedin or Invercargill were flying in the vicinity of Skippers to-day, while information from another source stated that no plane* from Canterbury, Nelson, or the West Coast would be in the air there today.

Advice from the Taiori aerodrome states that no visiting machines were expected to arrive there to-day.