PLANE MISSING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24910, 8 May 1942, Page 4

PLANE MISSING

COOK STRAIT AIRWAYS FIVE PERSONS ON BOARD (P.A.) NELSON. May 7. A Cook Strait Airways plane which left Wellington for Nelson this morning is missing. Three passengers and two pilots were on board. The plane left Wellington at 7.35, and the company was in communication with it by wireless till 8.17, when the commander was given his bearing. The plane was then due to land in a few minutes, and its position was somewhere soutfi-east of Nelson. It is believed -that the plane . had sufficient petrol to last till 11 a.m. The occupants of the plane are— Commander K.’ R. Johnston, the pilot, married, of 58 Strathavon road, Miramar, Wellington. Second Officer \V. Smillie, married, of 7 Bridge street. Rongotai, Wellington, formerly of, Palmerston North. Mr W, H. Moore, married, of 96 Sefton street, Wadestown, Wellington. Miss Pamela Fell, care of Mr R. Fell, solicitor, of Nelson. Miss A. Farrar, address unknown. Mr Moore is chief draughtsman of the Vacuum Oil Company. Miss Farrar stayed overnight at a Wellington private hotel and booked a seat for Nelson from there. An unsuccessful search for the missing plane was made during daylight to-day by Air Force machines, the Nelson Harbour Board, and Air Force launches and ground parties. The search in all three forms will be continued to-morrow. Ground parties were also out to-night. Conditions today were unfavourable for observation from the air.

The evidence points to the plane being in the Nelson area and the people of the district are co-operating splendidly in the search operations.