'Blown away': Families of Dunedin plane crash victims hopeful as search for wreck targets mystery lake object

A mystery object detected deep in an isolated lake may hold the clue to what happened to seven Dunedin people who disappeared on a scenic flight almost 50 years ago. On December 29, 1978, flight ZK-EBU disappeared during a scenic flight from Dunedin to Milford Sound. The seven people on board were declared dead in the following days. Police on Thursday said they had received information about a “sonar target”, which was given to officers following a private survey of Lake Moeraki. “The potential object has been assessed as warranting further examination,” Acting Inspector Mark Kirkwood said. The flight left the Taieri Aerodrome at 10am that day and was due to fly over Te Anau, Preservation Inlet and Milford Sound before returning to Taieri at 1.35pm, the Otago Daily Times reported at the time. However it failed to return.