Lockheed Ventura Plane Wreck Site, Wellington.

[mannixt2]

Hello and thanks for hosting this interesting forum.


I visited the crash site of RNZAF Lockheed Ventura (NZ4573) recently and am going to be putting up a video, but still doing research.

I was wondering if anyone has a copy of ANSNZ Journal Vol. 18, No12 (I think) dated 3 Dec 1973, or are those records viewable on any site?

There is an entry about the crash of this aircraft and I have viewed a copy (photo of information) but it is hard to read. I am in particular looking for the crew members names, my copy of the details is in very small print and when enlarged some letters in 2 of the crew members names are blurry.

Very interesting crash, was over 3 years until the wreckage was found. Most of the plane is still at the site and in very good condition for being there 70+ years. Also does anyone here know of any other sources of information about this aircraft.


Regards mannixt2.

[kevsmith]

Have a look at this report on Air Safety Network.
aviation-safety.net/wikibase/65736

If the link doesn't work just put the aircraft type and number into google or similar.

[mannixt2]

Thank you very much for quick and very helpful reply

[mannixt2]

There were many pieces of armour plate found. I realise that one of them (curved large plate) was likely from the pilot seat but unsure where the other bits would have come from. The self sealing fuel tanks are there, would they have had armour plate? or is it more likely pieces placed to protect the crew or vital equipment.

[planewriting]

I've just looked up page 276 of the December 1973 AHSNZ journal. Text relevant to the Ventura is: "It was not until 21 March that a combined police and RNZAF party reached the wreckage and recovered the bodies of the crew, Flt Lt W G Jacobs, pilot, Flt Lt S Langdon, navigator, W/O H Newell, wireless operator and AC1 A Hayhurst, meteorological observer. Nothing was found that indicated the direct cause of the crash. The aircraft had approached the valley from the coast, lost a wing and an engine in the initial impact, cut a large swathe through the bush and exploded against a steep gully face. Wreckage still lies scattered across two ridges - wing sections, an almost complete PW R2800 Double Wasp (the other appears to have exploded), the complete tail plane, the badly bent ventral section and miscellaneous items such as Brownings, ammunition containers etc."

[errolmartyn]

Thu 28 Feb 1946
Daily meteorological flight
2 Squadron, RNZAF (Ohakea)
Lockheed PV-1 Ventura NZ4573 - took off at 0700 and after making a routine position report while returning to base at 0900 was not heard from again. Although some 6000 miles were flown by searching aircraft over the next eight days, NZ4573’s fate remained a mystery for over three years. On 18 March 1949 its remains were fortuitously sighted from the air by Fg Off J D Washington who was flying an Auster over the Tararua Ranges in a search for NZNAC Lockheed Lodestar Kereru (ZK-AKX) which had gone missing earlier in the day. After two attempts a ground party finally reached the scene through heavy bush country on the 21st. They discovered that the Ventura had flown into a ridge of the Waitohu Valley, some 3 miles east of Otaki. The remains of the four crew were brought out and buried at Palmerston North.
Pilot: NZ42407 Flt Lt Walter Gordon JACOBS, RNZAF - Age 27. 1809hrs (321 solo on Ventura) 8 ops.
Navigator: NZ413168 Flt Lt Sidney Howard LANGTON, RNZAF - Age 24. 1723hrs. 90 ops.
Wireless Op: NZ414888 Wt Off Hedley Beaumont NEWELL, DFC, RNZAF - Age 25. 1195hrs.
Meteorologist: NZ45823 AC1 Anthony John HAYHURST, RNZAF - Age 22.
Jacobs had flown his 8 ops during a South Pacific tour in 1945.
Langton’s ops were flown over three South Pacific tours.
Newell had completed four South Pacific tours, but his number of ops is unknown.

Errol

[mannixt2]

So sad - never realised they were so young!

[errolmartyn]

May 24, 2020 17:15:11 GMT 12 mannixt2 said:

So sad - never realised they were so young!

And so too for WWII.

Some sobering stats from my For Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Volume Three: Biographies & Appendices)

Aircrew only deaths by age
(excluding those who died as a result of a non-aircraft event.)

Age 18 10
Age 19 90
Age 20 308
Age 21 475
Age 22 493
Age 23 501
Age 24 436
Age 25 360
Age 26 315
Age 27 242
Age 28 197
Age 29 171
Age 30 119
Age 31 96
Age 32 72
Age 33 51
Age 34 40
Age 35 19
Ages 36-43 19

Total 4014

57.5% died before their 25th birthday.
All but 89.5% died before their 30th.
Average age = 24.5 years
(compared with 26 years for WWI deaths)

Of these:
born 1896 to prior to WWI 683 (17%)
born WWI (4.8.14-11.11.18) 1328 (33%)
born after WWI to 1925 2003 (50%)

Thus one third were born in one world war only to die in the next.

Errol

[Dave Homewood]

Wow, that is sobering indeed, Errol.

[pepe]

May 24, 2020 11:14:52 GMT 12 errolmartyn said:

Thu 28 Feb 1946
Daily meteorological flight
2 Squadron, RNZAF (Ohakea)
Lockheed PV-1 Ventura NZ4573 - took off at 0700 and after making a routine position report while returning to base at 0900 was not heard from again. Although some 6000 miles were flown by searching aircraft over the next eight days, NZ4573’s fate remained a mystery for over three years. On 18 March 1949 its remains were fortuitously sighted from the air by Fg Off J D Washington who was flying an Auster over the Tararua Ranges in a search for NZNAC Lockheed Lodestar Kereru (ZK-AKX) which had gone missing earlier in the day. After two attempts a ground party finally reached the scene through heavy bush country on the 21st. They discovered that the Ventura had flown into a ridge of the Waitohu Valley, some 3 miles east of Otaki. The remains of the four crew were brought out and buried at Palmerston North.
Pilot: NZ42407 Flt Lt Walter Gordon JACOBS, RNZAF - Age 27. 1809hrs (321 solo on Ventura) 8 ops.
Navigator: NZ413168 Flt Lt Sidney Howard LANGTON, RNZAF - Age 24. 1723hrs. 90 ops.
Wireless Op: NZ414888 Wt Off Hedley Beaumont NEWELL, DFC, RNZAF - Age 25. 1195hrs.
Meteorologist: NZ45823 AC1 Anthony John HAYHURST, RNZAF - Age 22.
Jacobs had flown his 8 ops during a South Pacific tour in 1945.
Langton’s ops were flown over three South Pacific tours.
Newell had completed four South Pacific tours, but his number of ops is unknown.

Errol

Very interesting information to add to the family history file.

The pilot of the searching RNZAF Auster was James Washington (my uncle). It appears he was also involved in finding/sighting ZK-AKX (Kereru) shortly afterwards. Discovering two missing aircraft in one day is a notable achievement.

Sadly, he possibly knew some of the missing Ventura crew having also served in the South Pacific in 1945.

[Dave Homewood]

Wow that is amazing, locating both aircraft while searching for one.

[kiwiannie]

I am new to this site and have just come across this thread. My husband's uncle was Sidney Howard Langton who was the navigator on this flight. I have all the reports of this accident plus Howard's (he was known as Howard) war records and I am currently trying to piece together his life. Just recently my husband, Howard (he was named after his uncle), myself and my husband's eldest sister visited the graves of the 4 airmen killed in this accident. I am happy to share information that maybe of interest to others.

[Dave Homewood]

Hi kiwiannie, I have been working for some years to collate any information on the General Reconnaissance and Bomber Reconnaissance Squadrons of the RNZAF. My goal is to eventually publish books on each squadron's wartime history. If you and your husband have Howard Langton's flying logbook, a copy of that would be very helpful to my research (digital photos from cover to cover is the best way). I'd love to also see copies of the accident reports too, please. I am also happy to assist if I can in your efforts to piece together his life story.

[kiwiannie]

Hi Dave,
Unfortunately I do not have Howard's logbook. It is on my list to contact family members to see if anyone knows what happened to it. I see from his records that it was released to his mother in 1947, so I will see what I can find. The reports related to the accident that I have are copies of the Court of Inquiry File, the Police Report and also a copy of an extract from Chris Rudge's book "Missing! Aircraft missing in New Zealand 1928 - 2000". What is the easiest was to get these to you?

[kiwiannie]

Just found your email on this site so will email them if that is okay.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks very much. Yes email to [e-mail] please. Much appreciated.