MISSING AIR LINER

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXV, Issue 12257, 22 February 1937, Page 3

MISSING AIR LINER

STILL NO_ NEWS THIRTEEN ’PLANES AID IX SEARCH CRASH IN SEA FEARED Sydney, Feb. 21. There is still no sign of the missing Stiiuon air liner, and tears are entertained that it crashed into the sea on the way from Brisbane to Sydney. Thirteen aeroplanes have been employed in the search for the machine. Reports that it was seen passing over various points south of Taree lead to the belief that it vanished within half an hour of Sydney. One report stated that the Stinson was seen over Gosford between 4.30 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday. The area in which the aeroplane apparently disappeared is closely settled and it is considered almost unbelievable that it could have crashed on the land without the accident being reported within a day. U is reported from Brisbane that one man who travelled in the Stinson as “J. Barnett” was Mr J. R. Binstead, of Manley, who was flying under the assumed name because his wife was nervous of air travel and he did not want her to know he was making the trip. A report was received from Kambucca on Friday night that the machine was heard over that midcoast town at 2.55 p.m., but it is possible that it may have been a sister aeroplane, en route to Brisbane, which leaves Sydney at 1 p.m. daily. The captain of the missing machine is Mr Rex Boyden, and Mr Shepherd is co-piiot. It carries live passengers, Messrs J. S. Proud, of Sydney; J. Westray, a member of Lloyds, London; W. Fountain, a New York architect who lias been supervising the building of a theatre in Brisbane; and R. Graham and Binstead.