MISSING PLANE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24911, 9 May 1942, Page 4

MISSING PLANE

NO TRACE FOUND WEATHER HAMPERS SEARCH (P.A.) NELSON, May 8, No trace has been found of the Union Airways Lockheed passenger aeroplane which failed to arrive at the Nelson aerodrome yesterday morning after a flight from Wellington. On board the plane, which left Wellington at 7.35 and was due at Nelson at 8.15, were a crew of two and three passengers. The search was continued to-day by ground parties and Air Force planes. More than 200 men tramped the hills and gullies of the rugged country east of Nelson in miserable weather, and returned at nightfall reporting no success. Air Force planes were unable to examine the ground on account of mist, but ground parties covered most of the area thoroughly. The last two bearings received from the missing aircraft indicate that at the time it was not over any territory north of Maitai Valley. The last message received was to the effect that-the pilot was coming into land and asking the station operator to listen for his engines. At that time the aeroplane was somewhere south-east of the Nelson aerodrome and normally would have landed there within a few minutes. It is calculated that it had sufficient petrol for a further two and ahalf to three hours’ flying if necessary. The search to-day was concentrated in the area south of Maitai Valley, where several residents claim to have heard a plane yesterday morning. A call for more volunteers was made over the radio to-night, and it is intended to extend the search further to the east to-morrow. In addition a more thorough search over the country covered to-day is planned. Over 200 men were engaged in the search to-day. Each party was given two carrier pigeons. Army personnel with five portable transmitting sets arrived from Blenheim this morning, and these were used to enable the parties to keep in constant communication with the base.

The commander of the missing plane, Mr Keith Johnston, received his initial training with New Zealand Airways. Ltd., which had its headquarters at the Saltwater Creek aerodrome Timaru. He was instructor for the Wairarapa and Ruahine Aero Club for two years, and then joined Cook Strait Airways as a pilot. When the company’s machines were taken over by the Government he transferred to Union Airways. The second officer, Mr W. Smillie. who has two brothers in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, trained with the Manawatu Aero Club and joined Union Airways in 1938.