Gavin Grimmer
20th March 1955
Andrew Ian French
Age 22
North American P-51 Mustang NZ2425
Andrew was authorised to carry out low flying and aerobatic practice at a minimum height of 250 feet, with a planned flight time of 1 hour. He took off from Whenuapai and was last officially seen flying in a westerly direction toward the low flying area.
6 July 2012
I initially never added this missing aircraft to this site as it was considered that it had crashed into the sea.
Search and Rescue broadcast an appeal calling for information concerning anyone that may have seen this aircraft that was by then considered missing somewhere in the Kaipara Harbour area, and as a result of this, they received several hundred replies!
These were all investigated and where necessary, aircraft were dispatched to search accordingly.
Two observers claimed they saw a Mustang aeroplane near Muriwai Beach, climb and follow a Tasman Empire Airways Ltd (TEAL) DC-6 airliner that was out-bound for Sydney, Australia. They watched it until it disappeared from view.
Two days later, a Sunderland Flying Boat NZ4119 that was searching for NZ2425, reported a discolouration of the sea, part of it containing an oil slick, off the coast from Muriwai Beach, and this was considered at the time as being the crash site of NZ2425.
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