THE AO-TEA-ROA

Hokitika Guardian, 23 January 1928, Page 4

THE AO-TEA-ROA

Cl IRIS IT HER CM MAN’S STORY. ( lIKISTt IU'R( 11. Jan. 21. That lie >aw and heard Captain | Mood and Lieutenant Alonerielf’s j aeroplane over Wellington at 5.J0 a.in. | on Wednesday. January 11, is the firm ’ statement of Air T. J. AA’oods, a Cliristcluirch resident, who was staying in Wellington with relatives in Pipitea Street. The ’plane was travelling in an easterly direction, and there ap--1 pea red to ho difficulty in the control. Air AVoods was for some time a member of the Royal Air Force, and was certain as to the identity of the machine. He was so confident that he returned to bed satisfied that the aviators at. reached New Zealand safely. It was the noise of the ’plane. Ah I AVoods said, that awakened his sisteri in-law. who in turn called him. Tie 1 saw the ’plane, as lie reckoned, about | a mile away, living in an easterly direction until it unit out of sight behind a spur of the Tinakori Hills. The ' j ’plane showed up. a dirty white, in the j early sunlight, and by its movements j when it hanked it appeared that tho left rudder controls were damaged. The ' j noise of the engine was unmistakable. j His description of ihe ’plane tallied ’ 1 with that ol the machine that the I aviators used. I Air Woods rang up the post office ’ I and was told that tic 'plane had been • reported by several people, but that I it was a New Zealand 'plain- searching

for the trans-Tasman airmen. Air AVoods had to go north on business early that, day. and when he returned to AVellington on tin l Thursday, he said he reported what lie had seen to Major AA’ilkes. The theory was expressed by Air Woods that Mnncrielf and Hood had struck New Zealand, somewhere on the West Coast, late on the Tuesday evening, had landed on some suitable beach that they had found, and had resumed the flight at daybreak on Wednesday. This would explain the possibility of the 'plane being in tbe air, from tlie fuel point of view, ami Air Woods suggested that some injury might have occurred to the controls during the landing and subsequent take-off. lie is of the opinion that the Tilatie will lie found eventually in the Riunilakn or Tararua ranges.