No Trace Yet Of Missing Oxford Plane

Chronicle (Levin), 4 December 1948, Page 5

No Trace Yet Of Missing Oxford Plane

Press AssociatMi u

( Per

WELLINGTON, Dee. 3. With cloud today at 3000 feet— Well below the peaks of the Ruahine Ranges —great ditticulty is being experienced by New Zealand Royal Air Force aircraft searehing for the missing Oxford. Four ground parties left from Rangiwahia today lieading for the general area near the headwaters of the Tukituki River. Food was dropped from the air today to one of the parties whicli set out yesterday from Napier and Hastings. Three planes operated from Napier today and 16 from Ohakea, the (irst plane taking off from Ohakea at 4.40 a.m. There were signs later in the morning that the cloud might clear. No trace of the plane has been found yet by ground parties whieh are now in tlie area near Park Peak where the plane is believed to have crashed. The party, organised by Mr. C. R. Watson, of Waipukurau, left yesterday morning and divided into two seetions, one of three men, and the other of five. The party of five reached Park Peak yesterday and established -headquarters at Howiett's Hut near the peak. The party has a radio receiving set for instructions, and is conmiunicating with the air by rneans of visual signals. Supplies were dropped to them by air. A smaller party ' searched further soutli and returned from the ranges at 5 p.m. yesterday. A party of 16 led by Sergeant F. W. Le Fort left Waipukurau yesterday afternoon and reached Thomsen's Mill, whieh will be the base for "wallcietalkie" eommunications. The party continued to Park T'eak this morning and is expected to link up with the lirst group early this afternoon to confinue a widespread organised search. Heavy snowfalls are reported to be retarding the. progress of the air search whieh was continued today. Plving eonditions are deseribed as rough, and parts of the ranges are under cloud. The weather at midday was clearing over the Ruahine Ranges, but there were no results in the search. Pp to last night search planes had flown 101 sorties, totalling 11.8 honrs 18 minutes in the air for a total mileage of 16,727, stated the Air Search Contre this afternoon.