MISSING PLANE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24419, 3 October 1940, Page 10

MISSING PLANE

NO SIGN OF MACHINE CHANGE IN SEARCH PLANS NEW AREA TO BE COMBED (Per United Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH. Oct. 2. No trace of the Air Force Airspeed Oxford, which is missing between Mokau and Ohakea, was discovered by the searching planes 10-day, but fresh information from Ahititi, just north of Mount Messenger, has led to new developments in the search plans. Mr H. Rowe, of Ahititi, heard a crashing sound in rugged country about 2 p.m. on Monday After he had read the reports of the disappearance of the plane he formed the opinion it might have been the cause of the noise. Constable C. W. Powell was in + he area to-day and a search parly is to be organised to-morrow. In addition, planes are to fly over the area and to guide them to the locality a big sheet is to be stretched out. Civil air pilots to-night expressed the view that the area between Okau and Mount Messenger was a likely place to find the plane, whereas most of the search by air so far had been along the coast. They pointed out that the plane had not been identified after it left Mokau, and that the pilot of the machine might easily have decided to take the inland line from Mokau to Ohakea, following his course by means of his instruments. If he had done so he would pass near where Mr Rowe heard the crash. Splendid visibility favoured the air search this afternoon. The planes had to cover an extremely wide area.