MISSING AEROPLANE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22630, 23 July 1935, Page 13

MISSING AEROPLANE

AN INTENSIVE SEARCH SIX PLANES ASSIST (Fee United Peess Association) HASTINGS, July 22. The efforts of six searching planes and parties on foot have failed to find any sign of the missing airman, Hamish Armstrong, of Akitio. All the planes returned to Hastings to-night, having searched all the probable places in which a crash might have occurred, the area of their operations having extended from Dannevirke in the south and Kurapapanga in the north on both sides of the Ruahine ranges, and also the coast from Akitio to Cape Kidnappers. The visibility was quite good except north of Hastings to Kurapapanga. Those in the Ongaonga district who heard the plane yesterday morning said that the engine was running smoothly. The pilot, evidently having lost his direction in the fog, had turned towards the Ruahine range, where it is feared he crashed. The country is very rough and difficult of access. There are a few flat areas, however, on which a plane could be brought down by a skilled pilot. In such an event the pilot would be faced with considerable difficulty in finding his way back to civilisation. To-day search parties set out from the Ongaonga sawmill near where the plane was last heard in order to conduct a search, while since early morning planes have been operating. Three planes from the Hawke’s Bay and East Coast Aero Clubs, one from Palmerston and two form the Wairarapa-Ruahine Club have been engaged all day to-day, and from daylight to-morrow morning three others —one from Wellington, one from Palmerston North, and the East Coast Airways’ Dragon de Havilland —will continue the efforts.

One of the search partes, on foot this afternoon at 4 o’clock saw smoke two miles away over rough country, seven miles from Ashley, Clinton. Two men have stayed the night in the open intending to leave at daylight to investigate, and will be further augmented during the night by other men with provisions.