PRESS RELEASE :

591

(By the Minister for Civil. Aviation, Mr. Swartz.)

The Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr. Swartz, announced today that

the search for the Cessna aircraft, missing on a flight from Cairns to

Lakefield Station since July 18, has been suspended.

The aircraft VH-BPG, a Cessna 172, was owned by Bush Pilots and had

three persons on board.

Mr. Swartz said that an air search involving 62 sorties, totalling

about 170 flying hours, had been unsuccessful but he stressed that the

effectiveness of the air search had been limited by the rugged, heavily

timbered country which characterised most of the area where the missing aircraft

was thought to be.

In addition to the air search, many ground search parties had been

organised by the Queensland Police to investigate areas of strong sighting

and/or hearing reports. These search parties, consisting of Police, Army and

civilian volunteers, carried out searches in some. of the most difficult

country in Australia, often with the risk of injury and personal discomfort.

Mr. Swartz paid a tribute to the pilots who flew on the search, often

under difficult weather conditions and to the ground search parties for their

untiring efforts.

He said that the search would be resumed immediately should any

significant reports regarding the possible whereabouts of the aircraft come

to hand. In the meantime, a watch would be kept along the beaches for possible

wreckage and aircraft pilots flying over the probability area would be asked

to keep a watch for the missing aircraft.

CANBERRA. AUGUST 15, 1967.

