PLANE LOST Over Cook Strait in Fog

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 58, 24 March 1937, Page 5

PLANE LOST Over Cook Strait in Fog

-Fress Asgoeiation.)

TWO MEN ABOARD Floating Wreckage Found Near Shore 5EARCH UNDER WAY

(T?v Telesranh-

WELLINGTON, Last Night. RnifflSng iato a fog ovet Cook Strait to-day when flying froju Nelson to Wellington, the Western FederatOd Aero Olub's Moth aeropianp, returning from the aero pageant at Hokitika disappeared with tio pilot and his passenger. Tke only clue to their fate was the finding late this afternoon of three piecea Qf wreckage izx the sea near Mr Arthur Smith, of Pungarehu, near Opunake^ Taranaki, was the pilot and Mr J, Hamill, also of . Pungarehu, was the passenger, Aeroplanes, launehes, and. land parties eo-operated jn an- extensive eeareh till night-fall. The floating wreek&ge was found hy Messrs D. Haig and B. McKenzie. employees of the Te Kamaru station. Makara, on the heach about six uxiles from Makara. From the deseription given by Mr A. Sutherlands manager of the station, the pieees ari considered to bi almost beyond doubt parts of the missxng 'plane whieh is now thought to have crashed in. the sea near Makara, Extensive Search. Mounted police leave Wellington at daybreak to-morrow to seareh the beaeh tor further signs qf the missing uiaehine or the oeeupants and an aeroplane patrol of the sea thereabouts will be made from Rongotai With other elub machines whieh had been cojnpeting in the pageant the plane left Nelson about 9.30 a.nx. All the machines flew to near Cape Terawhiti, soine then turning to Wellington and others toward "Wanganui. Messrs Smith and Hamill intended to fly to Wanganui, there taking on extra benzin® to proceed to New Plymouth. Mr C. Plumtree, another member of the Western Federated Club, waa flying another Moth. With Mr Plumtree leading, the two machines flew up the coast till a thiek bank of low fog was eneountered. The pilots attempted to fly uuder the fog and round the coast, but ihe fog reached almost to the water. Mr Plumtree,, deciding it would be risky to proceed with guch poor vxsibility, entailing blind flying |f the fog' bank provad wide, turned out to aea, expicting the other machine to follow the same cOurse. He cruised abont for a quarter of an honr without seeing a sign of the companion plane and then retumed to Wellington. He reported having lost contact with the other machine and arrangemeats for the seareh weta immediately made by Wing-Commander Wilkes. Had Plown §0 Hours. The pilot of the aeroplana missing ever Cook Strait is. Mr Arthur Smith, of Pungarehu, Cape figmont, aged about 24, a member of the New Plymouth Aero Club. He is a aon of Mr and Mrs Perey Smith, farmer, of Pungarehu. He has had 50 hours' flying and holds an A licence whieh had recently been. endorsed, but has had Jittle eross-country flying experience. Mr Smith 'a companion was a friend, James Hamill, also of Pungarehu, still in his teena and not an aviator, He is a aon of Mr and Mrs A. Hamill, of Pungarehu. Mr Smith flew the plane to the $outh Island pageant at Hokitika and took Mr Hamill for company, Mr Cyril plumtree, another New Ply--mouth pilot, left Nelson with Smith but rau into thiek weather qver Cook. Strait and lost contact with the other plane. Mr Plumtree reaohed Wellington with diffleulty and did not see the other plane agaim