This Site is dedicated to all those families of the people that have tragically disappeared on flights in and around New Zealand. I only hope that from all the effort in building this site and from all the effort of those taking part in this venture, that it will bear fruit in bringing ‘closure’ to their memories!
Gavin Grimmer
Gavin Grimmer
Captain Maurice Buckley, a well known Pilot at the time, searched all that area using a DH 9 aeroplane, and reported not seeing anything of interest.
Although a burnt area would be an obvious place to look in a search of today, it needs to be remembered that back in 1928, the main method of clearing bush was using fire and as there were farms being cleared in that area, a burnt area may well have been overlooked as just that. A freshly blackened tube fuselage would have been virtually undetectable from the air in those conditions.
If these rumours are correct, I hope this article gives any future searchers encouragement, and I wish them all the best.
As to all the many other supposed observations of G-AUNZ on the day....most of them were discredited in the newspapers, for various reasons, as simply not viable, and put down as people with vivid imaginations.
If this aircraft is found, New Zealand aviation history will need to be rewritten!
Although a burnt area would be an obvious place to look in a search of today, it needs to be remembered that back in 1928, the main method of clearing bush was using fire and as there were farms being cleared in that area, a burnt area may well have been overlooked as just that. A freshly blackened tube fuselage would have been virtually undetectable from the air in those conditions.
If these rumours are correct, I hope this article gives any future searchers encouragement, and I wish them all the best.
As to all the many other supposed observations of G-AUNZ on the day....most of them were discredited in the newspapers, for various reasons, as simply not viable, and put down as people with vivid imaginations.
If this aircraft is found, New Zealand aviation history will need to be rewritten!
The Ryan Broughham B-1 G-AUNZ
A DH 9 aeroplane as used by Captain Buckley in the search
