A RNZAF P3K Orion. AK-07-0106-02
23 November 2008
A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K Orion and 14 crew members will rest and recover today after three days and more than 30 hours flying in search of 29 fishermen missing in the ocean off Kiribati.
The Air Force in coordination with the New Zealand Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) became alerted after the Ta Ching 21 was located by a Korean fishing boat in a burnt out condition, still afloat but with no one on board in the Fiji SAR region on 9 November.
With the area of the likely location of the fishermen now searched without any sighting, a reassessment and re-evaluation of the search will be made by the RCC in Suva. The P-3K Orion and crew will remain on standby in Port Vila for any developments that may occur.
The P-3K Orion captain Squadron Leader Mike Pearson said that the Air Force and RCC in New Zealand will liaise with the search controllers in Fiji to determine the plan from this point on.
“We have made a thorough and complete check of the search area, unfortunately without success.
“Without more information coming to hand or possible sightings being made known to us we are not left with too many more options at this stage. We will take direction from the RCC in Suva now and obviously continue to assist in any way we can," said Squadron Leader Pearson.
No further information is available at this time. A decision to continue with the search will be made after a search reassessment is made in the next day or so.
ENDS
Background Notes
- The RNZAF maintains a P-3K Orion and crew on 24 hour search and rescue call out 365 days of the year. A permanent crew is always on two hour call out standby.
- The P-3K Orion has a flight time of 15 hours during search and rescue operations with engines shut down to preserve fuel.
- The RNZAF is funded for 80 search and rescue flying hours annually.
- RNZAF No. 5 Squadron has undertaken 8 successful search and rescue operations this year.
- The RNZAF Orion fleet is currently being upgraded. The scope of this project includes the replacement of the data management, sensors, communications and navigation systems, and the provision of associated ground systems.
For more information please contact Squadron Leader Glenn Davis, Defence Public Relations on 04 496 0294 or 021 420 899.
Currently 644 New Zealand Defence Force personnel are deployed on 14 operations, UN missions and defence exercises around the world.