Missing arircraft found
A United States (US) aircraft that went missing 22 years ago in the Solomon Islands has been found beneath the waters of Santa Ana, Makira/Ulawa.
The aircraft went missing since January 18 1989.
The aircraft, a Piper Seneca light twin engine aircraft with registration number N8295M was on a delivery flight from the US to Australia with an Italian lone pilot on board.
It made an over-night stopover in Honiara on January 17, 1989.
The aircraft departed for Brisbane on the morning of January 18 and was never seen again.
Although there were extensive searches carried out then, the aircraft could not be located because of the lack of resources and aircrafts available at that time.
A helicopter P2-PAA and Solomon Airlines PA23 Piper aircraft participated in the search and were later assisted by RAAF C130 and G1000 from the Civil Aviation Authority of Australia but to no avail.
Two search and rescue mission coordinators were also sent by Australia to provide relief and assistance in the Rescue Coordination Centre.
All their efforts remain futile until June this year when Alfred Pita, an employee of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) went on leave in Santa Ana.
That was when he saw one of the villagers in possession of a knife with its handle made from part of an aircraft.
Curiosity led Mr Pita to investigate deeper of the whereabouts of the crash site and when it crashed.
It occurred that elders in the village revealed to him the aircraft that ditch of the coast of Santa Ana occurred around the same time N8295M disappeared.
Villagers during that time were afraid that if they mentioned the crash they might get into trouble so they remained silent for the past 22 years.
However, beneath the dusty files of the CAA, the file of the missing aircraft was never closed.
Therefore, Mr Pita alerted his CAA colleague George Satu and Mr Satu dug out the file.
After discussions with the CAA director and CAA advisor Mr Satu led a search team to Santa Ana to investigate the missing aircraft with a hope to close the N8295M case.
On October 31, 2011, the team flew over to Santa Ana.
They interviewed elders in the village before visiting the crash site.
Five local divers assisted the team as they went on a mission to discover the missing aircraft.
The remains of N8295M were discovered 50 meters under-water.
The CAA last week officially closed the file of N8295M.
The chronology of the story was relayed to the Solomon Star by Mr Satu.
Mr Satu said they have already contacted the US consulate in the country as well as Italian authorities of their discovery.
A team from US is expected to fly into the country to salvage the remains of the aircraft.
PM Philip has been called upon to remove the Finance minister and the Aid and planning minister.
Sunday morn here in Honiara. I have been gone way too long and have a lot of work on my plate. But it is a relaxed Sunday morn. Why should it be other-wise?
I sit on the upstairs verandah. A soft breeze ruffles the palms. The guava tree makes a sensual sound as it shakes in the wind. The scarlet of the bouganvillia, The pink and white and yellow, and red of the frangipani. The blue, blue, blue sky. And the green. Yes, the GREEN. We are in the tropics.
It becomes a feast for the senses. The combination of aromatics. The visual cacophony. The discordant audio… kids in the distance playing, birds all around, the domestic sounds of a sleepy suburb on a Sunday.
I slept in. Was up late last night. Did not rise until 10am. So I now sit with feet up and a good coffee steaming away.
My travels recently have been eclectic… Aus in spring to Iowa in fall to Las Vegas in madness to Montana in almost winter to Oz in almost summer…. then back home to the tropics.
Ahh the TROPICS…
It is the ocean. It is the ocean…
Mother, mother Ocean, I have heard your call…
2-11 A Pirate Looks At Forty
Now the weather turns… We are in the tropics.
Watching as a storm blows in.
My buddy Willis would love this. As a climatologist he gets excited about quick weather changes… the temps just dropped more than 5c. A chill wind blows from the hills. Thunder just made it’s first appearance. Thick heavy rain drops fall sporadically. the front of the storm is here. The Wind increases on cue, the rain intensifies… I just about have to move… but it’s too cool here… Way cool and a bit chilly. As the rain becomes a down-pour, the wind abates a bit, and my tenure on this verandah ends.
But it feels so good. Makes me want to be on a yacht in rough seas… I’m playing Jimmy B and enjoying it… enjoying it a lot…. Yes I am a Pirate…. an over 40 victim of fate…
Life is good.
Mother, mother ocean, I have heard you call
Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall
You’ve seen it all, you’ve seen it all
Watched the men who rode you switch from sails to steam
And in your belly you hold the treasures few have ever seen
Most of them dream, most of them dream
Yes I am a pirate, two hundred years too late
The cannons don’t thunder, there’s nothing to plunder
I’m an over forty victim of fate
Arriving too late, arriving too late
I’ve done a bit of smuggling, I’ve run my share of grass
I made enough money to buy Miami, but I pissed it away so fast
Never meant to last, never meant to last
And I have been drunk now for over two weeks
I passed out and I rallied and I sprung a few leaks
But I got stop wishing, got to go fishing
Down to rock bottom again
Just a few friends, just a few friends
I go for younger women, lived with several awhile
Though I ran them away, they’d come back one day
Still could manage to smile
Just takes a while, just takes a while
Mother, mother ocean, after all the years I’ve found
My occupational hazard being my occupation’s just not around
I feel like I’ve drowned, gonna head uptown
I feel like I’ve drowned, going to head uptown
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Posted in a gentle sunday morn, DATED COMMENTARY