Ohakea - Ohakea

On February 28, 1946 at 07:10 AM, Ohakea - Ohakea experienced a crash involving Lockheed PV-1 Ventura, operated by Royal New Zealand Air Force - RNZAF, with the event recorded near Tararua Mountain Range Manawatu-Wanganui (Horizons Regional Council).

The flight was categorized as meteorological / weather and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

4 people were known to be on board, 4 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 4, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The crew was engaged in a meteorological survey mission and left Ohakea AFB at 0700LT. Ten minutes later, while cruising in the Waitohu Valley in poor weather conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located in the Tararua Mountain Range. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 4 crew members was found. On March 19, 1949, walkers found the wreckage of the aircraft in a wooded area located near Otaki. Crew: F/Lt Walter Jacobs, F/Lt Sydney Langton, W/O Hedley Newell, AC1 Anthony Hayhurst.

Aircraft reference details include registration NZ4573, MSN 6203, year of manufacture 1944.