AERIAL SWEEPS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21980, 26 March 1946, Page 5

AERIAL SWEEPS

MISSING_ PLANE AUSTRALIA TO CEYLON HOPE STILL ENTERTAINED (10 a.m.) SYDNEY, March 26. Liberators are describing three huge circles radiating from Western Australia, Cocos Island and Ceylon in their search for the Lancastrian airliner with five passengers and an Australian crew of five which has been missing since Saturday night. The Western Australian sweep, which is being carried out by Royal Australian Air Force planes, will be joined by a Lancastrian from Sydney. Hopes are still entertained that the plane, after failing to locate Cocos Island, landed on one of the many airfields on the west coast of Sumatra or on an isolated section of north-west Australia. The petrol carried was sufficient for a 3100-mile flight from Colombo to Australia.

The plane was last reported midway between Ceylon and Cocos Island, which is now a stopping place. It is possible that the plane may have missed the island because of a radio breakdown or other fault.

Royal Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force Sunderland and Liberator search planes immediately went out from Colombo, Singapore, Batavia, Cocos Island and Perth and last night a specially equipped Lancastrian left Sydney to assist. Notable Passengers

Passengers on the missing air liner are Colonel J. Dobson, engineer of the British Department of Aircraft Production, Mr. J. H. Vose, of the Renold and Coventry Chain Company, London, Mr. H. Marsland, a member of the British Parliamentary Committee of Co-opera-tive Congress. Mr. B. Whittey, of Sydney, and Mr. J. Knight, industrial representative of the Coates Cotton Company, Scotland. Colonel Dobson is the son of the managing director of the A. V. Roe Aircraft Company who, with the company's chief designer, converted the Lancaster bomber into the commercial Lancastrian.

Due to bad weather over the Indian Ocean, a new R.A.F. Lincoln bomber, which was due at Melbourne yesterday from England with an Australian crew, has not arrived. All plane services between Sydney and Brisbane were suspended yesterday because of torrential rains and cyclonic conditions.