A plane that disappeared almost 48 years ago may have been spotted by volunteer aviation investigators. ZK-EBU took off from Taieri airfield in Dunedin, New Zealand on Dec. 29, 1978. The plane vanished without a trace after it encountered bad weather as it flew through the Southern Fiords. Extensive ground searches were conducted but neither the plane nor those onboard were ever found. The victims were declared dead on Jan. 2, 1979.
How is the investigation unfolding?
Onboard the Piper Cherokee 6 was pilot Edward Morrison, five members of the Stuart family and 20-year-old David Hogg. Volunteers from the group Lost Aircraft New Zealand had previously spent several decades searching to no avail.
The discovery of a sonar target found in Lake Moeraki during a private survey has prompted a fresh search by police, who will deploy divers if the sonar scanner identifies a large object. The search began on Monday, Sept. 17. The operation involves the Royal New Zealand Navy, Police National Dive Squad, Coastguard West Coast and Hato Hone St. John.
In July 2026, another missing plane that disappeared in 1952 was found by an advanced underwater drone.
What are the families’ reactions?
At this stage there is no official confirmation that the object is the lost plane but relatives of the victims are extremely hopeful. New Zealand police said in a statement that they are staying in touch and supporting the families. They continued:
“If successful, we hope this search will bring some measure of closure to the families and friends of those on board, as well as the many people who have contributed to efforts to locate ZK-EBU over the past 48 years”
Gavin Grimmer, an aviation researcher, has been heavily involved in the search for many years and said in a statement:
“The families, my team of volunteers, and myself are only prepared to say at this stage that we are all completely blown away that after all these years the police, military, and Coastguard are still prepared to put in to hopefully bring about finality to the families.”
He defended the decisions made by authorities at the time of the crash, saying they were under pressure to save lives and had very little information to act on.
The police acknowledged Grimmer’s significant contribution to the investigation and said [his]:
“Years of research and analysis have contributed to the information now being assessed.”
What do you think happened to ZK-EBU? Let us know in the comments.
