MISSING PLANE FOUND.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 925, 21 November 1933, Page 9

MISSING PLANE FOUND.

Pilot and Passenger Both Killed in Crash. FATALITY ON MOUNT TURIWHATE. (Special to the *' Star.”) TURIWHATE, November 21. SEARCH PARTIES returned early this afternoon to Turiwliate with the .news that the missing Moth aeroplane had been found wrecked fifty feet from the summit of Mount Turiwhate. 1 Both the pilot, Mr J. D. Renton, of Hokitika, and the passenger, Mr J. D. Lynch, ex-Mavor of Greymouth, were dead, apparently killed instantly at the time of the crash. The pilot had the control stick in his hand. The search was conducted under difficult conditions—heavy rain and thick fog. The bodies will not be brought down until to-morrow. The plane was located as a result of a comprehensive search. The search parties were composed of experienced bushmen, and they spread out over an area of from two to three miles. All of them kept within audible contact. The limit of visibility was about six feet and weather conditions were very bad. Mr G. George, of Kumara, a member of the search party who found the missing plane and occupants, stated that it was near the peak of Mount Turiwhate, and if the plane had gained another fifty or seventy-five feet of altitude it would have cleared the summit. The plane was found in a rocky gully, and it would appear as if the plane was rising when it struck the mountain. The speedometer was registering 50 m.p.b. This, together with the switch-board, were removed and brought down to the Treacy homestead.

When the news that the plane was missing was received an intensive search of the country in the vicinity of Mt Turiwhate was organised. Search parties were out until ten o’clock last evening. Again this morning, in heavy rain and thick fog, the search was-con-tinued by parties comprising 49 searchers in all. Conditions were the worst possible. It now appears that the plane crossed from the Arahura Valley to the Teremakau Valley, where the engine was distinctly heard. It is thought that the plane circled round Mt French and turned back in the direction of Hokitika when on the north side of Mount Teremakau. It was shortly after that that the crash was heard, like the noise of petrol tins falling to the ground, as one resident described it. Another stated that the engine appeared to be functioning perfectly. Mount Turiwhate is 4500 ft in height, with heavily timbered slopes up to the 3000 ft level. The next thousand feet are covered with light scrub and the remaining 500 ft bare rock. Expert Searchers. The leader of the first party, which left Turiwhate at 4.30 a.m., was Mr Treacy. The second party followed at 6 a.m., led by Mr T. Teen, the third at 7.15 am., with Mr W. Neame in charge, a fourth at 9.45 a.m., under Mr A. Straight, and the final party at 10.15, under Mr C. Morrison, of the Lands and Survey Department, Hokitika. Constable Drummond accompanied the last party. There was some delay in the despatch of the search parties owing to the difficulty of finding suitable and competent leaders. Those in charge were conversant with the country round about. Dr Fraser, of the Greymouth hospital staff was a member of one of the parties. Mt Renton left Hokitika yesterday afternoon, with Mr Lynch as a passenger. An aeroplane was heard to pass over Dillmanstown, and then, from the bush-clad slopes of Mt Turiwhate, a few miles east of Kumara, came the noise of a loud crash. At the same time the drone of the engine ceased. Search parties from Hokitika and Kumara scoured the hillside for two hours last night, but discovered nothing; they left at daybreak this morning to continue their search, and wete aided by Mr J. C. Mercer, instructor to the Canterbury Aero Club, who left Wigram Aerodrome at 5 o’clock this morning. Morning Search. A party of eleven searchers who had been out since early morning returned to the Treacy homestead at noon. They reached the top of the mountain, but a fairly extensive search revealed no traces of the missing men. Rain was falling heavily and thirty-eight men were still out on the mountain engaged in the search. Search from the Air. As the weather over the Alps could not have been worse Mr Mercer flew to the West Coast by way of Nelson and Collingwood. He arrived at Nelson at 8.30 a.m. and was expected to reach the region where the search was being conducted about -n hour and a half later. Mr _ Mercer arrived in Hokitika at 11.30 a.m. He flew low oyer the Grey River and then made for the Teremakau. After going up the river for a short distance, conditions were so bad that he made back to Hokitika.

At Hokitika, the fog was right down to the tops of the houses, but Mr Mercer was keen to join in the search. He yielded to the advice of • his friends, however, and waited for an improvement in the weather. He check-

ed over his engine, and was ready to start again as soon as the fog lifted. The missing plane left Hokitika about two o’clock yesterday afternoon for Christchurch. Conditions were good on the Canterbury side, but foggy on the West Coast. Drizzling rain was also falling. Mr Renton flew over Kumara, and the 'plane was last seen over Wainihinihi, about fourteen miles away. It then disappeared in the clouds.. Residents at Turiwhate, nine miles from Dillmanstown, heard the noise of a ’plane passing over at 2.30 p.m. fol. lowed by a crash like falling timber. They were unable to find out what had happened, as it was raining heavily, and there was a heavy mist hanging over Mount Turiwhate. Mrs Pugh, a resident in the locality, stated that she heard the sound of the engine passing over towards the mountain at 2.30 p.m. A moment later there was a loud crash and the noise ceased. Search on Mountain Side.

Messrs M. Treacy and T. Peen went up the mountainside in search of the ’plane about three hours later. They were followed at 6.45 p.m. by Messrs L. Martin, of Kumara, and W. Treacy, who escorted Mr P. Renton, a brother of the pilot, up the mountain. Other searchers from Hokitika and Kumara joined the second party, equipped with electric torches and a first-aid outfit. They made as thorough search as possible, although hampered by heavy rain and fog. Searchers worked on the assumption that the ’plane crashed about 2000 feet up the mountain side, but Mr M. Treacy, who managed to climb to the top, found no trace of any wreckage or the two men. He was forced to abandon his search owing to the darkness and weather conditions. The other searchers also found nothing,

while the surrounding hills were shrouded in fog. Capable Pilot.

Mr Renton, who was a Hokitika member of the Canterbury Aero Club, was regarded as a very capable young pilot, and it was thought possible that he may have mistaken his altitude in the fog. Last week he completed his refresher course at Sockburn as a member of No. 4 (Army Co-operation) Squadron of the New Zealand Territorial Air Force. He left Wigram Aerodrome on Saturday morning, and flew to Nelson by way of Picton and Blenheim. On Sunday afternoon, he left for Hokitika, arriving after 150 minutes. He began his flight back to Christchurch yesterday afternoon at 2 p.m. Passenger and Pilot.

Mr Renton, who was an old boy of Waitaki High School, was the second son of Mr Paul Renton, of Hokitika. He had made very rapid progress as a pilot and recently secured his B license. He had had 100 hours flying experience.

Air J. D. Lynch, who was also a passenger on the flight from Christchurch, was one of the best known West Coast personalities, and was prominent in the commercial and civic life of Greymouth for many years. He was Mayor of Greymouth from 1917 to 1923, and in 1922 contested the Westland seat. Formerly manager of the National Bank an d Hokitika, he retird in 1898 to enter business, establishing the firm of Alark Sprot and Co. in Greymouth and Hokitika. Mr Lynch spent a large sum of money in searching for coal at the present site of the Dobson mine, and founded the Dobson Colliery. He was associated with many industrial concerns on the West Coast, and recently had been interested in a project for distilling oil from coal. He was a partner in the Bellvue coal mine and senior trustee of the Hokitika Savings Bank.