|
Post by baronbeeza on Jul 21, 2014 23:22:30 GMT 12
Short notice but this is on TV One in a few minutes.
11:50pm; Real Crime: The Missing. The Missing Reopen the Case of the Turner Family Who took off from Tekapo in a Cessna 172 in 1983. They were bound for Fox Glacier but never made it..
|
|
|
Post by johnnyfalcon on Jul 22, 2014 7:37:29 GMT 12
What was it like Baron? I'm picking there's nothing further to add??
|
|
|
Post by baronbeeza on Jul 22, 2014 13:40:12 GMT 12
G'day Johhny. I am not sure I have much to compare the programme to. I can remember the original search back in 1983 as I had mates flying the RNZAF F-27 going out on sorties. The programme didn't give any new info, or perspective, that I am aware of. The guys who were at Tekapo on the day came across well with their opinions of the weather of the day and the advice they all gave. Friends and family gave a rather contradictory and possibly biased background of the pilot and his abilities etc. They did say his wife was a pilot also but I didn't catch the level of her experience. It seemed to paint a picture of him pushing the limits but with her she was the conservative and calming influence. Some said he was cautious and spent hours checking his emergency equipment...... soon followed by comments from experience aviators and searchers saying there was doubt that the beacon was even operative ? I got the impression he was another North Island pilot coming along thinking they have mountain flying experience.... how much he listened to the locals is probably not even debatable. He seems to have appeased then by stating some alternatives he had in mind, West Melton may have even been mentioned. No position reports, no updates, - just a couple of calls to Hokitika Flight Service about the local weather there. The call was heard by Timaru F/S so must have been at altitude or on certain locations. A loaded 172 is going to struggle at altitude amongst those mountains, adverse winds and a low ceiling probably compound things even further. It seems like one of those days when someone made a bad call.... I am sure whatever has been written about this case in the past is going to have the same conclusion. I am guessing Gavin even has a chapter of his book featuring this one, I didn't hear mention of it on the programme though. *** EDIT *** I have it recorded on the My-Sky box so you are welcome to come around to do a viewing, I have some fizzy citrus beer here going cheap as well. *** EVEN BETTER EDIT *** www.findlostaircraft.co.nz/zk-css.htmlMuch more detail in Gavin's book alright. Fifteen pages and each one of them probably portraying a more accurate picture than that of the TV programme.
|
|
|
Post by delticman on Jul 22, 2014 15:06:43 GMT 12
Turner ran a ski lodge/ shop at north end of National Park. Name stayed on the building for a long time after the accident
|
|
|
Post by No longer identifiable on Jul 22, 2014 17:14:07 GMT 12
Roy Turner was quite a character. He started one of Ruapehu's first rope tows on what is known (at least it was when I skied there) as the National Downhill, which is on the Whakapapa side. Like thousands of other people I came to know him briefly, and in my case it happened when I parked myself at his ski shop in National Park for a weekend. In return for helping out at his newly-refurbished ski hire place he and his wife (Ann) fed and lodged me.
He was always generous, such as the time the Victoria University truck called in to drop off skis late on a Sunday night before returning to Wellington. The weather was miserable and those of us in the back were wet and cold. Roy rustled up an old aluminised survival blanket, but also warned us that the cat had pissed on it but it was still OK. Needless to say, once we got under way the blanket was tossed out but we still endured the overpowering smell of stale cat urine all the way back to Wellington.
Roy got into flying through a neighbour, Marshall Gebbie (who operated Buttercup Lodge), and I remember Roy saying he had a big scare once when he had forgotten to switch tanks (or something along those lines) and was coming in to land when the engine began spluttering.
It was a great shock at the time when he and his family dissapeared crossing the alps, and later visits to his old ski hire shop never had the same atmosphere again.
|
|
wal
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 1
|
Post by wal on Oct 8, 2020 18:32:26 GMT 12
I am the only eyewitness. I thought this plane had been located & recovered long ago, way back in 1983. I flew back to the USA assuming everyone knew where it was...my email address is wallycoffey@yahoo.com
I just had the pleasure of speaking to Marshal Gebbie & Grant Edwards.
|
|