FREIGHT PLANE OVERDUE

Chronicle (Levin), 9 August 1948, Page 5

FREIGHT PLANE OVERDUE

Press Associatlon )

Search Of Cook Strait Area Commences

(Per ,

WELLINGTON, Aug. 9. A Dakota air freighter, under charter to the Railways Department, is overdue on a flighi across Cook Strait from Blenheim to Paraparaumu. The plane, Parera ZK-AOE, was piloted by M. C. McLeod and R. J. R. H. Makgill, both of wbom have been hying for over 20 years. The piane left Blenheim, at 3.30 a.m. today for. Paraparaumu. She made a routine report upon leaving the coast of Ihe South Island and since then chere "has been a blackout. The air and sea rescue organisation was sent into Cook Strait and three Douglas aircraft also joined in the search. No report had been received by noon of the plane being sighted. The last report received from the Parera was at 8.38 a.m., when the plane was over the Wairau bar. The aircraft was schedule'd tc arrive at Paraparaumu at 9.10 a.m. As soon as the aircraft was reported overdue to Air Traffic Ccntrol, Wellington, a check wat instituted and a number of aircraft were alerted. These were thrown into the search as soon as the report was verified. Harvards from Rongotai, Ohakes and Woodburne joined the s§arch and an air and sea rescue Cataline was dispatched from Auckland Two Mosquitces from Ohakea alsc

took off and a Dakota, which was on a training flight at Paraparaumu, was diverted to the area. The first report from the searching aircraft was of oil sficks five miies south-east of Cape Terawhiti. The Director of Air Traffic Control, Wing Commander. L. F. P. Taylor, said that these slicks need nA necessarily have eome from the aircraft, but rhay have been left by a ship. Upon receipt of the report of oi slicks, other aircraft were immed ately diverted to the area. Iu addition high-speed chasers from f,he ■ Tory Ch&mnel whaling stations vere asked to proceed Immediate y uO inve&tigate. : -s The estitaated track of the miss ,ng piane was the first to be covered and then the coastlines of the North and South Islands. The searching planes are ah being controlled through..cjPara; paraumu tower from Air Traffi Control in Wellington. The positiDi of each of these arrcraft is pmttac n a map and where necessarj directions are issued to red :rec them into a new area. • The flight plan of "the missine Dakota showed that it was carrying 7741 lbs. general freight, a lcad which was some hundreds of 1 "»s below its maximum payload. On its take off the Dakota was carry ing enough fuel for 1 hr. 20 min utes. The flight plan also disciosec that the pilot intended flying belc the cloud base, which was from 1000 to 1500 feet. At this heigh there was a light layer of strato cumulus cloud.