Date:	Tuesday 30 November 1948
Time:	15:45 LT
Type:	Airspeed Oxford Mk I
Owner/operator:	GP Flt RNZAF
Registration:	NZ2127
MSN:	3499
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Daphne Ridge, Ruahine Range -   New Zealand
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	Napier
Destination airport:	Ohakea AFB
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Ex-RAF Airspeed AS.10 Oxford NM254: Built by Airspeed Ltd, Portsmouth, England. Brought On Charge at RNZAF Hobsonville on 25 February 1944 and assembled at No.1 Aircraft Depot. To General Purpose Flight.

On 30 November 1948, broke up in flight and crashed in rugged terrain near Howletts Hut in the Ruahine Range, near the headwaters of the Oroua River.

The pilot, Roy Bush, had flown Hawker Hurricane fighters in the Battle of Britain. Serving in No.242 Squadron, Fighter Command under the leadership of the illustrious Squadron-Leader Douglas Bader he had been credited with two enemy aircraft shot down, one probably destroyed and two damaged.

On September the 15th, 1945 he was chosen to be one of the twelve pilots under Bader's command leading the first Battle of Britain fly-past over London.

Returning to NZ in November 1946, Roy Bush was placed in command of the General Purpose Flight at Ohakea.

On the 30th of November, 1948 he had carried out a photographic reconnaisance flight in the Gisborne area and, after a brief stop at Napier, was flying back to Ohakea. Airspeed Oxford I NZ2127 took off from Napier at 15:03 hours local time, but failed to arrive at Ohakea and last seen at about 15:45 hours local time flying in extremely turbulent air conditions east of the Ruahine Range near Norsewood.

Although searching aircraft flew in excess of 100 sorties over the next four days, it was a 15-man police party on the morning of the 4th that finally discovered NZ2127’s fate. The Oxford had been torn apart in the air, disintegrating wreckage falling over a square mile of wild country near Howlett’s Hut, near the headwaters of the Oroua River, in and around Daphne Ridge.

Scrub had closed in over the main wreckage, obscuring it from view from the air. The task of bringing out the three bodies took over a week because of the rugged terrain which had to be traversed. The pilot’s funeral was held at Wanganui on the 14th, with cremation following.

Crew of Airspeed Oxford NZ2127:
Pilot: NZ2506 Flt Lt Charles Roy BUSH, DFC, RNZAF - Age 30.
Navigator: NZ423433 Navigator I Hugh Gordon Finlay RENNIE, RNZAF - Age 23.
Photographer: NZ46130 A/C1 Robert George ROPER, RNZAF - Age 20

One ridge assumed the name “Plane Crash Spur” for obvious reasons. The aircraft wreck was never recovered, and some engine parts remain at the confluence of Howlett and Oxford Creek. Written off books at Ohakea on 26 April 1949.

1. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.baaa-acro.com/1948/archives/crash-of-an-airspeed-as-10-oxford-in-new-zealand-3-killed-4/]
2. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?10563-Accident-report-Spitfire-I-P9497-at-58-OTU-Grangemouth/page2
3. http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/.au/nz-serials/nzoxford.htm
4. http://www.pntmc.org.nz/newsletters/files/2010-10-01.pdf page 5
5. http://www.pntmc.org.nz/newsletters/files/2010-08-01.pdf page 4
6. http://www.colensostudy.id.au/Newsletters/Year%202011/newsletter%20Apr11.pdf page 16
7. Press (newspaper, Christchurch), 6 December 1948.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-Jun-2009 04:02	angels one five	Added
25-Jun-2009 06:12	angels one five	Updated
12-Dec-2010 18:58	angels one five	Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Narrative]
30-Oct-2011 16:39	angels one five	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative]
30-Jul-2017 19:25	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative]
19-May-2018 03:58	Ron Averes	Updated [Operator, Location]
13-Sep-2020 22:17	Ron Averes	Updated [Operator]
28-Dec-2020 15:46	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Operator]
08-Oct-2021 05:46	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]
09-Oct-2021 22:16	Ron Averes	Updated [Operator]
09-Oct-2021 22:21	Ron Averes	Updated [Operator, Narrative]
29-Oct-2021 07:00	Ron Averes	Updated [Destination airport, Source, Narrative]