ZK-CKX Submarine Cessna

[johnnyfalcon]

On November 17, 1981 Cessna 172 ZK-CKX suffered an in-flight engine failure which led to a ditching in Rotongaio Bay, Lake Taupo. Over that summer (I think) my family had our annual holiday at what was then the local camping ground 'Loafers Paradise' and were on hand for the salvage of CKX. The following photos were taken by Dad on the ever trusty(!) 110 camera... Hope you enjoy :-)

First, the aeroplane was raised to the surface from about 60 feet of water I think, with the help of divers and the latest in flotation devices


Gradually she was moved closer to shore until her wheels touched the sandy sloping lake bed, whereupon the flotation devices were removed




Then a tow operation began from the beach pulling her up onto the lake front




















...a much happier and drier Cessna 172

[Dave Homewood]

Amazing photos!

[johnnyfalcon]

Am I right in thinking that there may have been suspicions the engine failure was caused by sabotage? I don't seem to have a copy of the crash report. Does anyone out there have access to it?

[nuuumannn]

Fantastic to see these!

[flyjoe180]

Great series of photos there, thanks for sharing them. I remember I had a Kodak 110 camera. Great little thing.

[Peter Lewis]

Neat sequence.
I note the pilot at the time was A Israel - presumably the same A A Israel that set some longstanding record flights around NZ in a Mooney.

ZK-CKX is still with us, based at Taihape.

[johnnyfalcon]

Sounds like more than coincidence. I'm surprised I've never seen other photographs of this event published. I lived in Taupo for 8 years and some of my family are still there. Loafer's Paradise is long gone though

[thomarse]

Yep, same Tony Israel - AFAIK he is still farming near Taupo.

I had many happy hours in ol' CKX with Lakeland Aviation between 1969 - 79

I didn't realise DXC has had such a long association with the Great Lake?

[Gary.]

Cool photos Johnnyfalcon My dad told me that Loafers paradise was the best camp ground in Taupo back in the day. Pitty as all that remains down there now is blackberry, but if you look closely you can still see the odd caravan power point pole sticking up out of the srub

[johnnyfalcon]

Yep. 'nuff said for fear I start a land war...

[johnnyfalcon]

Have redone the images now hosted by Flickr

[isc]

Great little cameras, I still have my Kodak Instamatic 200, it was the camera I took with me when I went to the Boy Entrant School in 1964. isc

[planewriting]

ZK-CKX has had quite a life. It started of here as ZK-BWM. After an accident it was re-registered as ZK-CBJ amd written off again to re-emerge as ZK-CKX. I saw it at Tauranga Airport a while back and some time after it departed I realised it was a member of the "Lake survivor" order. I've found out it comes to Tauranga occasionally. I want to get hold of it next time and persuade the owner to bring it into Classic Flyers display hangar for a photo shoot with two other members of the order, namely Swallow ZK-GCD "Great Charlie Duck" and Cessna 150 ZK-CGI. These two have landed successfully in Lake Wakatipu and Lake Duncan respectively.

[madmax]

I seem to recall that following its Taupo dunking CKX was rebuilt by John Hobday at his Taupo engineering facility but may be wrong here.
I logged a few hours in it prior to the Taupo episode but do not have access to my log books for details at present

[johnnyfalcon]

That's how I remember it too. I think the last pic is outside his hangar

[madmax]

I got to know John and his wife Shona well during the early 80s, I think he specialised in repair/rebuilding Robinson R22s at that time.
Johnnyfalcon or anyone else - do you know if John is still with us.

[Peter Lewis]

The registered owners when the rebuild was completed were P L Moles, J M Jones, R Marsden, D Johnston & P L McQuinn, Taupo, on 19Apr1982.
Hobday may have carried out the work on their behalf, or on behalf of the pre-ditching owner, H V Carlisle of Hamilton.

[johnnyfalcon]

Didn't John own (or operate) BPT the other 172A resident at AP? I remember he once flew me in it on a day trip to Wanganui and back

[madmax]

Yes, seem to recall he did have some tie-up with BPT

[Peter Lewis]

J R Hobday, K J Spencer & N J Hockey, Taupo listed as owners of ZK-BPT April 1985 to Jan 1998 then J R & S M Hobday, Taupo until Feb 2001.