Plane wrecks in the otaki/himatangi area

[axelford]

On the aviation safety data base there were several plane crashes in the Himatangi to Otaki area. Most are in the water with very vague descriptions with one Hudson being listed as “3 miles south of Rangitikei river mouth” and a Harvard being listed as near that same river mouth but with a picture of it in sand dunes. 
I was wondering if anyone has ever found wreckage of any of these planes or if they were recovered. Especially the Harvard (nz988) I’m mainly interested in as there is a photo of the crash site.

[Dave Homewood]

Is that Hudson the one that a fishing boat pulled the engine up from few years ago? The engine ended up at Wigram.

[axelford]

I would have no idea, probably, there is only one Hudson in the area. So if that story is true that suggests some wreckage might still be there!
Shame I don’t have a boat. I wonder what the chances are of something washing up?

[angelsonefive]

Jan 18, 2020 10:51:30 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Is that Hudson the one that a fishing boat pulled the engine up from few years ago? The engine ended up at Wigram.

I am pretty sure that engine was from the Hudson that was ditched in Tasman Bay in Sept., 1942.

More info. here : aviation-safety.net/wikibase/48605

[Dave Homewood]

Ah yes, I think you're right.

[tbf25o4]

Ventura NZ4513 crashed near Otaki Forks on a Met Flight 28.2.46 the wreckage was not discovered until many years later

[tbf25o4]

Oops! couldn't read my own scribble the correct serial number for the Ventura is NZ4573
details as follows:
Missing on a meteorological flight. NZ4573 departed Ohakea at 0700 on 28 Feb 1946 to carry out a routine met. flight and disappeared.
It was found on 19 March 1949 at the head if the Waitohu Valley, east of Otaki, and just below Mick Trig.
Flight Lieutenants Walter Jacobs and Sydney Langton, Warrant Officer Hedley Newell and AC1 Anthony Hayhurst R.I.P.

[tbf25o4]

Here are a few more from 1940 - January 1942
Oxford NZ1237 No 3 SFTS, Ohakea AFB.
Crashed on Mitre peak, the highest point (5154 feet, 1571 metres) in the Tararua Range. Wreck not found until May 1942.
Both crew members killed.
LAC J V Gorrin and LAC R Abrahams, RIP.
Oxford NZ1277 14.11.40 flew into hill near Tokomaru
Vincent NZ326 9.1.41 crashed Foxton
Hinds NZ1507/NZ1526 4.3.41 mid-air collision Shannon-Levon
Vincent NZ359 Crashed low flying Kairanga
Hind NZ1537 21.8.41 Crashed low flying Levin.

Note: all of these accident files are available from National Archives

[axelford]

So would the file on nz988 say if it was recovered?

[tbf25o4]

There may be an entry on the file to say permission was given for someone to recover it, provided they approached the RNZAF for permission. Sadly this is not the case for a number of wreckage
sites. The bottom line is that all RNZAF wreckage remains the property of the Crown unless approval is given to a third party for recovery or removal of items

[angelsonefive]

P-40 Kittyhawk NZ3003.
Crashed into sand hills at Otaki, 29/1/43.
Sgt Douglas Ayson killed.

[angelsonefive]

Jan 18, 2020 15:29:50 GMT 12 tbf25o4 said:

Oops! couldn't read my own scribble the correct serial number for the Ventura is NZ4573
details as follows:
Missing on a meteorological flight. NZ4573 departed Ohakea at 0700 on 28 Feb 1946 to carry out a routine met. flight and disappeared.
It was found on 19 March 1949 at the head if the Waitohu Valley, east of Otaki, and just below Mick Trig.
Flight Lieutenants Walter Jacobs and Sydney Langton, Warrant Officer Hedley Newell and AC1 Anthony Hayhurst R.I.P.

If I recall correctly the wreckage of NZ4573 was discovered during the search for the NAC Lockheed Lodestar (ZK-AKX) that crashed on a ridge near Waikanae on 18/3/49.

[planewriting]

That is correct. NZ4573 was found by searchers looking for the above Lodestar.

In the December 1973 Aviation Historical Society journal there is an article by the late Ross MacPherson (former editor of N Z Wings magazine) on the Tararua crashes 1940 -1972. As you can imagine, given the terrain there have been many more since January 1942 in Ross's list. His entire list is:

NZ1277 Oxford 14 Nov 40, NZ1518 Hind 20 Nov 41, NZ1245 Oxford 20 Nov 41 (same day as NZ1245), NZ1237 Oxford 14 Jan 1942, NZ1008 Harvard 5 Nov 43, NZ4573 Ventura 28 Feb 46, ZK-ARK Tiger Moth 23 Jan 49, ZK-AKX Lodestar 18 Mar 49, ZK-AQL Auster J/1 28 Oct 51, NZ2124 Oxford 5 Jul 52, NZ1815 Devon 17 Feb 55, ZK-APQ Tiger Moth 1 Nov 55, ZK-BMN Agricola 11 Mar 65, ZK-GAY Skylark 3B (glider) 12 Dec 65, ZK-BAH Tiger Moth 21 Feb 67, ZK-CGA Cessna 172E 28 Sep 67, ZK-GFG Ka6Cr Rhonsegler (glider) 19 Jul 70, ZK-BJD Cessna 180 24 Mar 69, ZK-BQQ PA18 12 Apr 71, (on same topdressing strip on which BAH crashed - BAH was repaired but BQQ was not!), ZK-BZO Ceres 17 Jan 72, ZK-CII Cherokee 140 23 Jul 72. Needless to say, there have been more since then.

[angelsonefive]

We can add to the list Schleicher KA8B (glider) ZK-GEW, crashed fatally south of Tokomaru, on 4/12/82.

ASN report here: aviation-safety.net/wikibase/60853

[planewriting]

Indeed we can. I was just playing a cautious line by not trying to expand on the list and miss some out. I was quite sorry to see GEW's fatal demise. The K8 was my favourite type and I knocked up about 100 hours on GEK and GIM. In my capacity as Import Bills officer at Bank of NSW, I released the import documents so that GIM could be approved to fly on the upcoming weekend. I was first to fly it after its test flight.

[thomarse]

There is also an article in an AHSNZ Journal of long ago written by the late S/L A R (Bud) Mills and describing an exercise of I guess 3 Squadron to locate as many as these as they could, obviously pre-GPS. Anyone got that? I had a full set of Journals including the very early reprints but I loaned them out and they haven't returned yet....

[davidd]

Sad to report a few errors in one of the earlier entries for casualties, Oxford NZ1237 on 14 January 1942. Actual names of the two killed were LAC's James Edgar Norman Corin (not Gorin) and Ronald Alfred Walter Abrahams.
David D

[tbf25o4]

Thanks for the corrections David, I should have checked before copying that info off the net

[davidd]

Wot's that Paul - you don't have your full set of Errol Martyn's excellent volumes of black books close to hand when these occasions arise? They are REALLY quite useful - if only I could find MY set quickly every time I need them.
David D

[Dave Homewood]

You're right David,those books are such handy references. I use them often, including only a few hours ago.