CRASH IN THE SEA

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 13126, 24 March 1937, Page 5

CRASH IN THE SEA

PLANE FLYING OVER COOK STRAIT

Ran Into Thick Fog

Wreckage Found Near Makara

No Sign of Pilot or Passenger

(Press Association) .WELLINGTON, March- 23. Huiming into a fog’ over Cook Strait to-day .when flying 1 from Nelson to Wellington, the Western Federated Aero Club Moth aeroplane returning from the aero pageant at Hokitika disappeared with ike pilot and passenger, the only clue to their fate being the finding, late this afternoon, of three pieces of wreckage in the sea near Makara. Mr. Arthur Smith, of Pungarehu, near Op intake (Taranaki) was the pilot and Mr. .]. Humill, also of Pungarehu was the passenger. Aeroplanes, launches and land parties co-operated in an extensive search till night fell. The floating wreckage was found by Messrs. IX Haig and E. McKenzie, employees at Te Kamaru (station, Makara, on the beach about six miles from Makara. From a description given by Mr. A. Sutherland, manager of the station, the pieces are considered to be almost beyond doubt parts of the missing plane, which is now thought to have crashed in the sea near Makara.

Mounted police leave Wellington at daybreak to-morrow to search the beach for further signs of the missing machine or its occupants and an aeroplane patrol of the sea thereabouts will he made from Hongotai. With other club machines which had been competing at the pageant, the plane left Nelson about 9.80 a.m. All the machine's flew- to near Cape Terawliiti,. some then turning to Wellington and others toward Wanganui. Messrs. Smith and Hamill intended to % to Wanganui, there taking on extra benzine to proceed to New Plymouth. Mr. C. Plumtree, another member of the Western Federated Club, was flying another Moth. With Mr. Plumtree leading, the two machines flew up the coast till a thick bank of low fog w as encountered. The pilots attempted to fly under the fog and round the coast, hut the fog reached almost to the water. _ Mr. Plumtree, deciding that it v- ould be risky to proceed with such poor-visibility, as it would entail blind; flying if the fog bank proved wide, turned out to sea, and expected the other machine to follow the .same course.

He cruised about for a quarter of an hour without seeing any sign of his companion plane and then returned to Wellington, where he reported having lost contact with the other machine and arrangements for a search were immediately made by Wing Commander Wilkes.

THE MISSING FI LOT

HAD HAD 50 HOURS’ EXPERIENCE ALOFT.

Press Association

NEW PLYMOUTH, March 28

The pilot of the aeroplane missing over Cook Strait is Mr. Arthur Smith, of Pungarehu, Cape Figment, aged about 24. He i.s a member of the New Plymouth Aero Club and is a sou of Mr. and Mrs. Percy Smith, farmers, of Pungarehu. He has had 50 hours’ flying and holds an A license, recently endorsed, but has had little cross-country flying experience. Mr. Smith’s companion was a friend, Mr. James Hamill, also of Pungarehu, and still in his teens, and not an aviator. He is a sou of Mr., and Mrs. Hamill, of Pungarehu. Smith flew the plane to the South Island pageant at Hokitika and took Mr. Hamill for company. Mr. Cyril Plumtree, another New Plymouth pilot, left Nelson with Mr. Smith, but ran into thick weather over Cook Strait and lost contract with the other plane. Mr. Plumtree reached Wellington with difficulty and did not see the other plane again.

VICTORIAN PILOT DROWNED

Pilot Eagerty was Hying solo and was engaged in snooting practice at an aerial target towed by a Wapiti plane. Pilot Eagerty dived at the target, but tho Bulldog failed to recover and struck the sea and sank immediately. Tho Wapiti pilot saw tho crash and returned to tho scene, but there was no sign of tho pilot. A reconnoitring plane later saw the Bulldog on tho seabed in thirty feet of water.

PLANE STRIKES THE SEA

AVHILST ENGAGED IN TARGET PRACTICE.

HT.P.A. by Elec. Tel. Copyright). (Received March 23, 11.30 p.m,; MELBOURNE, March 23

Pilot Officer E. J. Eagerty, of the Royal Australian Air Force, was drowned late this afternoon when his Bristol Bulldog dived into Port Phillip Bay, three miles off tint Air Force depot at .Point Cooke.

The Harbor Trust lias sent a hopper bargo to salvage flic plane. Pilot Eagerty joined tlic Air Force in July 1934 and completed his training as pilot officer in July 1935.