FATE OF LOCKHEED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 May 1942, Page 4

FATE OF LOCKHEED

CRASH ON ROCKV FACE INDICATED BY FURTHER AIR OBSERVATION. PLANE APPARENTLY BURNED OUT. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association.) BLENHEIM. This Day. Further aerial reconnaissances appear to establish that the Lockheed air liner which crashed on Mt. Richmond, between here and Nelsen, on Thursday, was burned out after Colliding with a steep rock face in thick weather. The ground party which is proceeding to the scene is not expected to reach the wrecked plane until this afternoon. There has been no news since the parties from Blenheim and Nelson joined forces yesterday afternoon and established a base camp at Langley Dale Station, on the banks of the Wairau River, after collecting*the personnel and considerable quantity of equipment required for such ,an expedition into rough country. The parties had only time to set up camp before dark last night. The journey was resumed before dawn this morning, but although the party is accompanied by military signallers it is unlikely to communicate with Blenheim until the wreck has been examined. It is understood that the location of the wreckage has been clearly established, and that the party will be able to make directly for it, but over rough going, and may be back at the base camp late today. Since the discovery of the wreckage by Flying Officer J. Strand and an airman pilot during a training flight yesterday morning, other machines have flown over the scene at a low altitude, in improved weather. Despite a light sprinkling of snow, the examination from the air discloses that the fuselage is blackened as if gutted by fire. The plane evidently struck the north-east 1 shoulder of Mt. Richmond at an altitude of about 5000 feet, colliding with a rocky cliff and then falling some distance downhill.