SEARCH FOR MISSING AIRLINER BEING WIDENED TO-DAY RIGHT ACROSS NORTH ISLAND

Grey River Argus, 28 October 1948, Page 7

SEARCH FOR MISSING AIRLINER BEING WIDENED TO-DAY RIGHT ACROSS NORTH ISLAND

(Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, October 27. Eighteen aircraft will carry out a coast-to-coast search to-morrow for the missing airliner “Kaka.” The area to be searched stretches from' the mouth of the Waikato River across the island; then south to Galatea, and w T est to the Awakino River. An air sweep will also be made, at low tide, along the West Coast between the mouth of the Awakino River, west of Lake Taupo to Kawhia Harbour. Observers will seek any wreckage which may have been washed ashore within the past few days. A search will also be made of an area near Mokai, just north of Lake Taupo.

YESTERDAY'S EARLIER SEARCH A wiae extension of the search area was made to-day from a point iiem faihape to tne area souin oi rcotorua and from a point near Wnangainofflona on tne railway between Stratford and Okahukura to rort WaiKuu> a t the mouth of the Waikato River. The weather- was aoverse tn is morning. Aircraft were marshalled at various points for dawn departure, but because of a cold front over the area could not leave until about n a.m. Ten machines had been standing by at Ohakea, two at Whenuapai (Auckland), two at ftukuhia (narniiton) and two at the Karioi emergency field. The search extended to Pirongia mountain, north-west of Te Awainutu roiiowing checked reports of a wisp of smoke seen on the mountain side on Monday. Where the smoke was seen is neat the top of the mountain on the southeastern slope, and early yesterday Constables J. T. Mills, S. C. Robinson and A. S. Marshall, of the Hamilton police station, and a local resident, Mr J. Charleston, who saw the smoke left to investigate. The ground search in the Ongarue area to-day was concentrated on a huge tract oi virgin bush east of Mangapehi.

MANY PLANES UP IN THE AFTERNOON There was line weather this afternoon. This enabled sixteen aircraft searching for the missing air liner w cover a huge slice of territory. The search was extended northward to just south of Hamilton. Three aircraft concentrated on the Ongarue sector, and carried out a search which was stated to have been as thorough as possible, taking into account tne precipitous nature of the 3000 ft high country and the heavy growth of virgin bush. For the first time since the search Started on Saturday, searching planes —fourteen of them Air Force planes -—were enabled to cover Mount Ruapehu completely. Mount Tongariro, however, was still crowned with cloud. <> . ■ Late this afternoon three aircraft swept as far north as Pukekohe. All of the search aircraft, the greatest number’ in the air together sines the task commenced, were employed until nightfall, almost 7 p.m., before they returned to their bases. Iwo Austers stationed at Karioi for a close in search were fully employed during the afternoon, and they were supplemented by another Auster. A cold front, which passed over from the south, had kept all of the aircraft, with the exception of one weather reporting plane, on the ground for most of the morning.