MISSING AIRCRAFT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 262, 3 October 1940, Page 9

MISSING AIRCRAFT

SEARCH UNSUCCESSFUL. ' EXTENSIVE AREA COVERED. Per Press Association. NEW PLYMOUTH, Get. 2. No trace of the Air Force Airspeed Oxford missing between Mokau and Oliakea was found by searching planes today, but ires'n information from Ahititi, -just north of Mt. Messenger, has led to new developments in the search plans. Mr M. Rowe, of Ahititi, heard a crashing sound in rugged country about 2 p.m. on Monday. After he had road reports of the disappearance of the plane lie formed the opinion that it might have been the cause of the noise. Constable C. W. Powell was in t'he area to day and a search party is to be organised to-morrow. In addition planes are to fly over the area, and to guide them to the locality a big sheet is to be stretched out. , , Civil air pilots to-niglit expressed ' the view that the area between Mokau and Mt. Messenger is a likely place in which to find the plane. Most d the search by air so tar lias been along t'he coast, but they stated that the plane had not been identified after it left Mokau and that the pilot ot the machine might easily have decided to take an inland line from Mokau to Oliakea, following his course bv means of his instruments. If fie hau done so he would pass near where Mr Rowe heard a crash. Splendid visibility favoured the aerial search this afternoon. J »<=> planes liad to cover an extremely wide area.