NEW ZEALAND AIRMEN

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 102, 27 October 1934, Page 9

NEW ZEALAND AIRMEN

3I cGEEGOR AND WALKER

FEARS FOR THEIR SAFETY

THE STAGE FROM DARWIN

United Press Association—By Electric TelO'

era till—Copyright. (Received October 27, 10 a.m.)

CHARLEYILLE, This Day,

At 2 o'clock this morning there was no news of the New Zealand airmen, McGregor and Walker. They are now five hours overdue at Cloncurry. Although the absence o! news regarding the New Zealanders is sufficiently serious to have caused a certain amount of misapprehension it is not altogether alarming.

Leaving Darwin at 9 o'clock yesterday morning they took five hours to cover 384 miles to Newcastle Waters, their speed thus being less than 80 miles an hour.

As the special aerial mail was delayed by head winds and poor visibility, and was forced to land at Avon Downs, 50 miles from Camoowell, it seems certain that the New Zealanders experienced similar conditions. Wireless and telephone stations at many outlying places are closed during the night, and it is impossible to communicate with certain centres until the morning. It must be remembered also that there has not been any definite report of McGregor and Walker having left Brunette Downs.

The airmail pilot, who reported their landing at Brunette Downs, merely stated that they had inquired at Brunette for the route to Cloncurry, and did not report that they had taken off.

If McGregor landed after the wireless communication had ceased at Brunette and decided to remain for the night their decision would not be known until this morning. The country between Brunette and Camoowell is monotonous and featureless, but towards Cloncurry is rather dangerous, and in many parts hilly with few facilities for forced landings. Assuming that McGregor pushed on to Cloncurry, and that they maintained a speed of 80 miles an hour, they should have covered the 350 miles in about four hours, and should, therefore, have landed at Cloncurry shortly after nine last night.

If they have been forced down in the desert country they should have been able to land without serious injury, but a forced landing in a hilly section would be fraught with danger.