Cherokee 6 ZK-EBU

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

Email: gavin@findlostaircraft.co.nz

Cherokee Six ZK-EBU

29 December 1978

Missing: Edward James Sinclair Morrison - age 28
               Earl Bloomfield Stuart - age 40
               Elizabeth McGregor Stuart - age 37
               David John Stuart - age 18
               Alec Davidson Stuart- age 38
               Rosie Stuart - age 37
               David Hogg - age 20

This aircraft was on a scenic flight from Tairei (Dunedin), to Queenstown, Milford Sound,
Preservation Inlet and then back to Dunedin. It was last seen flying past Milford Sound Aerodrome from the direction of the Sunderland Falls, out towards the Sound entrance. The weather further south of there was reported as being low cloud virtually down to sea level.
Nothing of this aeroplane has ever been found.

On 29 December 1979, Milford Whaitery from Bluff (now deceased) while crayfishing at the Transit Shallows on the fishing boat “Thelda Fay”, saw an airplane that fitted the description of Cherokee Six ZK-EBU fly into the Transit River Valley in very poor visibility conditions. Transit River is just south of the entrance to Milford Sound and he thought that maybe the pilot had mistaken this for the entrance into Milford Sound.

There was another possible sighting of this aircraft outside of the area that was searched on the day it went missing:

An aircraft fitting the description of the Cherokee Six ZK-EBU was seen on the day it disappeared flying out to sea over the Moeraki River mouth, turn around about 1/4 mile out and head back up the river again.

The weather was drizzly rain and it was getting quite dark.

It was thought that the pilot had mistaken the river for the Haast River and was looking for the Haast Aerodrome.

There have been reports of sightings of wreckage of a crashed aircraft in the bush in a valley just south of that position.

Can you help with any further information?

ZK-EBU Pg 1