MISSING PLANE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 86, 13 April 1940, Page 8

MISSING PLANE

BELIEVED SEEN OVER ASHBURTON I Per Press Association ] CHRISTCHURCH, April 12. • Leaving Christchurch at 2.30 p.m.' i to-day in a northerly direction for a 15,000-feet height test, a Fairey Gordon biplane from Wigram Aerodrome, whose marking number was N.Z. 629. failed to return at its scheduled time of 4.30 p.m. and was still missing at a late hour to-night. The biplane was piloted by Aircraftsman W. Raphael, a pilot, undergoing training at Wigram. He was accompanied by Leading-Air-I craZisman W. Everist. A search was instituted for the missing plane when it failed to return but no trace of it was found. The search will be resumed early to-morrow morning. What is believed to be the missing biplane was seen over Ashburton shortly before 3 p.m. by Mr. John Johnson, of Harland Street, Ashburton, who was working in a field at Winchmore at the time. His attention was attracted to the biplane by the unusual way in which it was flying. It was at a very high altitude and a big cloud of greyish-black smoke was issuing from its side. It appeared to be circling and turned in the direction of Christchurch, but afterwards reversed its course and headed towards Timaru. After five minutes, however, it turned north once again and disappeared into a heavy storm. When Johnson saw it again it was about eight miles north of Ashburton and seemed to be making a gradual dive towards the ground. He was able to identify it as a Fairey-Gordon hiplane but was unable to distinguish its marking number because of the height at which it was flying. The Wigram Aerodrome authorities think that the biplane seen by Johnson may be the missing one but. arc unable to make any definite statement.