Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 26, 2020 14:55:50 GMT 12
An interesting early-war story
AIR MYSTERY.
MISSING BIPLANE.
ON ALTITUDE TEST.
SEARCH IN CANTERBURY.
MAY BE down in mountains.
(By Telegraph. Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day.
No trace has yet been found of an aeroplane from Wigram Aerodrome which failed to return after undergoing a height test yesterday afternoon. It Is believed possible that the pilot may have lost his way in heavy mist and storm over the foothills of the Southern Alps and that the two men in the 'plane might have been forced to land.
Leaving Christchurch at 2.30p.m. in a northerly direction for a 15,000 ft height test, a Fairey Gordon biplane from Wigram aerodrome, whose marking number was N.Z.629, failed to return at its scheduled time of 4.30 and was still missing at a late hour last night. The biplane was piloted, by Aircraftsman W. Raphael, a pilot undergoing training at Wigram. He was accompanied by Leading-Aircraftsman W. Everist.
Down In the Mountains?
One theory is that the machine is down in the mountains, in the area between Cass and Arthur's Pass. Low visibility, rain, mist and slight falls of snow have hampered searchers from penetrating very far into this area, and the search will be taken up again this afternoon, and will be carried on all day to-morrow.
When the machine took off from Wigram aerodrome it carried sufficient petrol for three hours' and a half flying. A report has been received from Cass that an aeroplane was heard over that district about 3 p.m. Mr. D. McLeod of Grasmere Station, Cass, said he heard a plane and judged it would be at an altitude of 4000 ft to 5000 ft. The aeroplane did not appear to be following the normal route taken by machines when flying in that direction, which was either up the course of the Waimakariri River or above the railway line. This machine, instead of going from east to west, appeared to be crossing the normal line of flight diagonally from south to north. The weather was thick and very said Mr. McLeod, "and I was surprised to hear an aeroplane over Cass in conditions like that."
Smoke Issuing From Side.
A search was instituted for the missing aeroplane when it failed to return, but no trace of it was found. The search will be resumed early this morning.
What is believed to have been the missing biplane was seen over Ashburton shortly before 3 p.m. by Mr. John Johnson, of Harland Street, Ashburton, who was working in a field at Winchmore at the time. His attention was attracted to the biplane by the unusual way in which it was flying. It was at a very high altitude and a large cloud of greyish-black smoke was issuing from it's side.
The machine appeared to be circling and turned in the direction of Christchurch, but afterwards reversed its course and headed toward Timaru. After five minutes, however, it turned north once again and disappeared into a heavy storm.
When Mr. Johnson saw it again it was about eight miles north of Ashburton and seemed to be making a gradual dive toward the ground. He was able to identify it as a Fairey Gordon biplane, but was unable to distinguish its marking number because of the height at which it was flying.
Search 'Planes Handicapped.
Wigram aerodrome reported that the weather to-day further into the hills from Cass was particularly bad, and searching 'planes were handicapped by bad visibility. Another report was that the missing aeroplane was seen over Ashburton. The Wigram authorities have assumed that the machine has been forced down in the hills, possibly in the region where the machine was heard between Cass and Arthur's Pass.
At present there is no trace or clue to guide the search, and it is thought unlikely that the machine went out to sea and became lost there.
AUCKLAND STAR, 13 APRIL 1940
AIR MYSTERY.
MISSING BIPLANE.
ON ALTITUDE TEST.
SEARCH IN CANTERBURY.
MAY BE down in mountains.
(By Telegraph. Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day.
No trace has yet been found of an aeroplane from Wigram Aerodrome which failed to return after undergoing a height test yesterday afternoon. It Is believed possible that the pilot may have lost his way in heavy mist and storm over the foothills of the Southern Alps and that the two men in the 'plane might have been forced to land.
Leaving Christchurch at 2.30p.m. in a northerly direction for a 15,000 ft height test, a Fairey Gordon biplane from Wigram aerodrome, whose marking number was N.Z.629, failed to return at its scheduled time of 4.30 and was still missing at a late hour last night. The biplane was piloted, by Aircraftsman W. Raphael, a pilot undergoing training at Wigram. He was accompanied by Leading-Aircraftsman W. Everist.
Down In the Mountains?
One theory is that the machine is down in the mountains, in the area between Cass and Arthur's Pass. Low visibility, rain, mist and slight falls of snow have hampered searchers from penetrating very far into this area, and the search will be taken up again this afternoon, and will be carried on all day to-morrow.
When the machine took off from Wigram aerodrome it carried sufficient petrol for three hours' and a half flying. A report has been received from Cass that an aeroplane was heard over that district about 3 p.m. Mr. D. McLeod of Grasmere Station, Cass, said he heard a plane and judged it would be at an altitude of 4000 ft to 5000 ft. The aeroplane did not appear to be following the normal route taken by machines when flying in that direction, which was either up the course of the Waimakariri River or above the railway line. This machine, instead of going from east to west, appeared to be crossing the normal line of flight diagonally from south to north. The weather was thick and very said Mr. McLeod, "and I was surprised to hear an aeroplane over Cass in conditions like that."
Smoke Issuing From Side.
A search was instituted for the missing aeroplane when it failed to return, but no trace of it was found. The search will be resumed early this morning.
What is believed to have been the missing biplane was seen over Ashburton shortly before 3 p.m. by Mr. John Johnson, of Harland Street, Ashburton, who was working in a field at Winchmore at the time. His attention was attracted to the biplane by the unusual way in which it was flying. It was at a very high altitude and a large cloud of greyish-black smoke was issuing from it's side.
The machine appeared to be circling and turned in the direction of Christchurch, but afterwards reversed its course and headed toward Timaru. After five minutes, however, it turned north once again and disappeared into a heavy storm.
When Mr. Johnson saw it again it was about eight miles north of Ashburton and seemed to be making a gradual dive toward the ground. He was able to identify it as a Fairey Gordon biplane, but was unable to distinguish its marking number because of the height at which it was flying.
Search 'Planes Handicapped.
Wigram aerodrome reported that the weather to-day further into the hills from Cass was particularly bad, and searching 'planes were handicapped by bad visibility. Another report was that the missing aeroplane was seen over Ashburton. The Wigram authorities have assumed that the machine has been forced down in the hills, possibly in the region where the machine was heard between Cass and Arthur's Pass.
At present there is no trace or clue to guide the search, and it is thought unlikely that the machine went out to sea and became lost there.
AUCKLAND STAR, 13 APRIL 1940