The. Story of the Lost Ventura

Chronicle (Levin), 19 March 1949, Page 5

The. Story of the Lost Ventura

WELLINGTON, Mareh 18s _ The Ventura, which was last reported .to be letting down through eloud about 28 miles southeast' of Ohakea from where it left on a routine meteorological flight three years ago, crashed in the hill country inland from the mouth of the Otaki River. The aircraft/ with a crew of four, went missing on Pebruary 28, 1946. The Crew were: Flight-Lieutenant Walter Gordon Jacobs, the pilot whose wife, Mrs. C. NJacobs, lives ' in Morrinsville; FlightLieutenant Sidney Howard Langton, the navigator, whose mother, Mrs. P. E. Langton, resides at 108 Duke Street, Mt. Eden, Auckland; Warrant Officer Hedley Beaumont Newell, the yvireless operator-airgunn'er, whose father lives at Templeton, Canterbury, and A.C.l Anthony John Hayhurst, the meteorolo: gist, whose father, Mr. C. D. Hayhurst, resides at Temuka. The Venture took off at 6.57 a.m., was • due back at 9.27, and carried enough petrol for a five and a half hours ' flight. It communicated with Ohakea for routine position cheeks at half-hourly intervals, the last contact with the plane being 9 a.m. when it was 35 miles off the west coast opposite the mouth of the Manawatu River. Pilot Jacobs had a total of 1800 hours' experience and flew Ventura s ;n the [Pacific. Langdon did three •''.urs of Muty in the Solomons and ha': a total of 1630 flying hours, Neivell t/^ined in Canada .and had 1143 hour.^ ^ i. his credit, while Hayhurst, who / tal student in civil life, Porce in 1945 and traine^^')£ti|j|^S8^ lpgist. f