Residents’ Deductions Prove Accurate

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26916, 30 October 1948, Page 6

Residents’ Deductions Prove Accurate

OHAKUNE, Oct. 29.

The wreckage is in heavy snow at about 7000 feet, and from its position it seems that the liner must have struck an outcrop at the head of the ravine above Cascade Falls on the western slope of the mountain. Heavy snowfalls on the mountain since Saturday obscured the wreckage from the air search, and would also preclude the possibility of there being any survivors from the passengers and crew on board. The actual location of the wreck is below a ridge between the' Manganuiateao and Maungaturuturu Streams, about 2000 feet from the head of Maungaturuturu Glacier. The wreck is visible to the naked eye as a small speck on the snow from Ohakune and Raetihi. It was first sighted this morning from a Dakota aircraft which was following a line of search indicated by Constables Beaton, Ratetihi, and Gardiner, Ohakune, and Tom Shout, a warden at National Park, who have steadily maintained since Saturday, after checking the local early reports, that the plane would be found in that position. Their observations were based on reports from railwaymen stationed at Rangataua and residents of Pipiriki road, near Ratetihi, who reported a plane at the time following the usual course, and deerstalkers

in the Maungaturuturu Valley, who on Sunday stated that they had heard a plane at the head of the valley and heard its engines stop suddenly. The weather from Saturday to Wednesday throughout the district and on the mountain has been extremely bad, with cloud down to 4000 feet. This lifted at midday on Wednesday, but heavy snow must have covered the plane, as searching aircraft have flown over the mountain night and morning on their way to and from other areas After receiving Constable Beaton’s report this morning, Wing Commander Kean, chief investigating officer of air accidents, flew over the scene and verified the position, which he later gave to a ground party of 72 men organised from the district by Constables Beaton ahd Gardiner and Mr Shout. The leadership of the party was assumed by Senior Sergeant Taylor, from Taumarunui, who arrived with the first of the police reinforcements. The party left Ohakune for Horopito at 2 p.m. The party is expected to reach the scene of the crash about 10 or 11 tomorrow morning. This was stated tonight by a police officer at Ohakune. He added that with luck the party might reach the road at Horopito by 6 o’clock to-morrow night on its v.ay down. &