MISSING 'PLANE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 69, 23 March 1931, Page 7

MISSING 'PLANE.

AUSTRALIAN LINER.

Machine Down Between Sydney

And Melbourne.

SIX PASSENGERS ABOARD.

(United P.A.-Electric Telegraph-Copyright)

(Received 11 a.m.)

SYDNEY, this day.

A National Airways monoplane, the Southern Cloud, piloted by Captain Short ridge, and carrying six passengers, left Sydney on Saturday morning for Are]bourne, but had not arrived there last evening.

Early messages to-day stated that there was still no sign of the missing monoplane. The passengers are: Clyde C. Hood, of Sydney; H. A. Farrall, of Caulfield; Miss E. Glasgow, of Toorak; J. Margules, of Melbourne; W. O'Reilly and Miss E. Stokes. The pilot is T. W. Shortridge, and the second pilot is C. L. Dunnell.

The area of the Victorian mountains in which it is feared that the Southern Cloud may have been forced down is extremely rough. Its isolated nature was exemplified when Flight Sergeant Denny of the Air Force was blown out of his course, in a storm. He '"'pancaked" into the treetops, and was two days in reaching a house from which he could send information.

The machine was last seen over Wangaratta, just across the border of New South Wales and Victoria. Storms on Friday dislocated the telegraph lines.

Flight Lieutenant C. T. P. Ulm says he presumes Captain Shortridge made a forced landing.

It is stated that the monoplane met ■with rough weather on the trip from Sydney.

Airmen in five machines are now searching for the monoplane. AirCommodore Kingsford Smith and Flight lieutenant Ulm, directors of National Airways, are expected to leave Sydney in separate aeroplanes to join in the search.

ANXIETY GROWING.

ALL MAIL 'PLANES IN SEARCH. (Received 2 p.m.) SYDNEY, this day. Ihere was no news at 10 o'clock this morning regarding the Southern Cloud. Its fuel supply would have been exhausted at four yesterday afternoon. There is considerable anxiety regarding the whereabouts of the machine but hope is expressed that Captain Shortridge's ability would save the situation by a forced landing. All air mail services were cancelled to-day to enable the 'planes to participate in the search.