PASSENGER PLANE CRASH

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22491, 28 January 1943, Page 4

PASSENGER PLANE CRASH

Inquiry Adjourned (N.Z.P.A.) HOKITIKA, Jan. 27. The Court of Inquiry into the loss of a twin-engined passenger plane at Westport on December 21 was continued yesterday afternoon, when the evidence of the pilot, Lieutenant Baine, Captain Mercer and the ground engineer, Darcy Orville Oppenshaw, was taken. All the evidence tended to show that the machine was in good order when it left on the journey. The sitting was resumed this morning. Captain Mercer, recalled, gave particulars of the endeavours that are being made in the search for the lost plane and the reward offered for finding the lost propeller. Squadron Leadei’ Hewitt, with considerable experience of flying machines of the type of that lost, stated that in unfavourable weather loss of height could not be regained with only one engine, and operating with the hatch open, there would be a certain amount of drag. Flight Lieutenant Buckeridge, Director of Civil Aviation, stated that it was not compulsory to carry a lifebelt on a flight of not more than 10 miles to sea. The Chairman, Mr W. F. Stilwell, S.M., intimated that as every possible endeavour was being made to salvage the plane, the inquiry would be adjourned for 14 days, to resume in I Wellington.