U.S. AIRCRAFT RETURNS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29067, 2 December 1959, Page 16

U.S. AIRCRAFT RETURNS

Bad Weather At McMurdo

A Super Constellation of the United States Navy left Christchurch for McMurdo Sound yesterday afternoon but had to return. The aircraft received a signal from McMurdo Sound that bad weather would prevent a safe landing.

The Constellation was to have flown south on Monday, but bad weather delayed it 24 hours. It is understood that the Constellation will leave Harewood again when a fine weather clearance is received from McMurdo. In the meantime, operations—particularly a mercy flight to the Knox Coast at the request of the Australian authorities—and the return of senior American staff officers to Christchurch are being held up. A Neptune patrol bomber now at McMurdo has been scheduled to make this 1300-mile flight to pick up a man, but will probably wait until the arrival of the Constellation to act as a communications relay and “backstop” in case of mishap. The mercy flight had been planned for “on or about December

If the Constellation is still required to be a part of the mercy night then the scheduled return of Rear-Admiral D. M. Tyree, officers, journalists and task force men will be delayed beyond the originally intended day of return—Friday.