New Sonar Data Prompts Renewed Search for Plane Missing Since 1978 with Seven Aboard
A new search operation has been initiated in New Zealand for a Piper Cherokee Six aircraft that disappeared nearly 48 years ago with seven people on board. The renewed effort comes after a sonar target was identified during a private survey of a West Coast lake. The plane, registered as ZK-EBU, vanished on December 29, 1978, during a scenic flight from Dunedin to Queenstown and Milford Sound. Despite extensive ground searches at the time, no trace of the aircraft or its occupants was ever found. The individuals on board were Edward James Sinclair Morrison, Earl Bloomfield Stuart, Elizabeth McGregor Stuart, David John Stuart, Alec Davidson Stuart, Rosie Stuart, and David Hogg. Police will lead a multi-agency operation at Lake Moeraki, northeast of Haast, to investigate the sonar anomaly. Acting Inspector Mark Kirkwood, who is in charge of the operation, emphasized that there is no confirmation yet that the object is the missing aircraft, but it warrants a closer look. The operation will involve the Royal Ne...
