Date:	Tuesday 23 March 1937
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.60M Moth
Owner/operator:	Western Federated Flying Club
Registration:	ZK-ACZ
MSN:	3049
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Ohau Point, near Makara, Wellington 1 -   New Zealand
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Hokitika Airport (HKK/NZHK)
Destination airport:	New Plymouth Airport (NPL/NZNP)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
C/no. 3049: DH.60M [Gipsy I] sold to High Commissioner for New Zealand with C of A 3730 issued 18.1.33. Arrived in New Zealand 2.3.33. Registered ZK-ACZ 6.4.33 to Western Federated Flying Club, New Plymouth [Govt Loan aircraft].

Written off (presumed destroyed) 23.3.37 when disappeared over the Cook Strait when returning to New Plymouth from the South Island Aero Pageant at Hokitika. ZK-ACZ is believed to have crashed in the sea in the Makara/Ohau Point area, where identifiable parts of the plane were washed up on the shore.

The weather conditions in the area at the time were reported to be foggy. Both persons on board - Arthur Smith and James Hamill - were presumed killed, as no trace of them was ever found. Therefore, it can be presumed that their bodies were never recovered. In addition, their deaths seem not to have been formally registered, and there is no memorial to them. R.I.P.

According to a contemporary local newspaper report (Evening Post 25 March 1937 Page 12 - see link #1)

"LOST AEROPLANE
NO FURTHER SIGN
SEARCH PROCEEDING
PARENTS' VIEW
Although up to the time of going to press no further wreckage had been found on the beach at Makara, from the inter-plane struts and the piece of undercarriage picked up during the last two days it seems definite that the missing Western Federated Aero Club's Gipsy Moth, which was lost when returning to New Plymouth from the South Island aero pageant on Tuesday, crashed into the sea in the vicinity of Ohau Point, Makara, during a heavy fog. Mr. Arthur Smith, of Pungarehu, Taranaki. was the pilot of the machine, and he was accompanied by Mr. James Hamill, also of Pungarehu.

Mr. Percy Smith and Mr. A. Hamill, fathers of the missing men, examined two of the recovered struts this morning, and Mr. Smith said there did not seem to be any question that they belonged to the missing aeroplane. On part of the undercarriage found is inscribed the maker's number, 2133, and also an Air Ministry date stamp, January 6, 1933. In the event of no further wreckage coming ashore, it will probably be necessary to confirm identification by communicating with the authorities in England.

Although no organised aerial search was conducted today, police and other ground parties are patrolling the beach with a view to finding further evidence as to the fate of the aeroplane. Flying-Officer J. M. Buckeridge stated today that the search would be continued along the beach until something definite was known. Up to a distance of about 50 yards from the shore in the vicinity where the wreckage came ashore, the water was reasonably shallow, and if the machine had crashed there it would probably be located if sea conditions were favourable.

Mr. J. O. Tait. of Island Bay, made a search by launch yesterday, and if conditions are favourable, he will make a further search tomorrow. He will be accompanied on this trip". by the fathers of the missing men. Mr. Percy Smith contradicted a Press Association message from New Plymouth, which stated that his son had had little cross-country flying experience. His son, he said, had had considerable experience in this branch of flying, and recently made a trip; to Te Kuiti, where he won the senior bombing competition at an air pageant."

The Cook Strait (Māori: Te Moana-o-Raukawa) separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The strait connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast. It is 22 kilometres (14 miles) wide at its narrowest point,

1. Evening Post 25 March 1937 Page 12: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19370325.2.115
2. Auckland Star, 22 September 1937, Page 12: https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~sooty/genealogy/miscairdeaths.html
3. Manawatu Times 31 March 1937 Page 9: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MT19370331.2.101.1
4. https://baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-de-havilland-dh60m-moth-makara-2-killed
5. http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/dh60.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_ZK-.html
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p030.html
8. http://www.flydw.org.uk/DWZKAAH.htm
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_Strait
10. AHSNZ, 1988, Journal, Vol 31 No 2.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
22-May-2009 12:58	XLerate	Added
25-May-2009 16:32	angels one five	Updated
27-Dec-2011 04:02	angels one five	Updated [Date, Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
26-Jan-2014 23:27	angels one five	Updated [Narrative]
22-Aug-2017 11:34	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]
22-Aug-2017 11:35	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
03-Apr-2018 13:53	angels one five	Updated [Narrative]
22-May-2018 04:48	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]
25-May-2018 01:21	Ron Averes	Updated [Operator]
10-Jun-2018 20:17	angels one five	Updated [Location, Narrative]
23-Jan-2022 04:03	Ron Averes	Updated [Time, Aircraft type]
11-Feb-2022 20:04	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]
13-Feb-2022 01:30	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]
17-Oct-2023 05:56	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Location]]
12-Nov-2023 02:48	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]
15-Nov-2023 20:03	Ron Averes	Updated [Aircraft type, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source]