SOUTHERN CROSS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 1 April 1929, Page 5

SOUTHERN CROSS

FORCED LANDING MADE. ACTUAL .LOCALITY NOT KNOWN. THE SEND-OFF AT SYDNEY. iL'mtCii Press Association—By Eleetno Copyright.) tAustralian Press Association.j SYDNEY, March 31. Tiic Southern Cross aeroplane left Sydney yesterday morning at 10.46 for England. It was forced down about 150 miles from Wyndham to-day, but the circumstances of its landing are not known. The Southern Cross personnel is the same as when the aeroplane visited New Zealand, namely, SquadronLeader Kings ford Smith, Flight-Lieut. Uhn, Messrs Litchfield and McWilliams, navigating and wireless- officers respectively. Several hundred people were present and gave the airmen a cordial send off. The monoplane, carrying 800 gallons of petrol, rose .slowly in the heavy atmosphere but once aloft soon disappeared north westward. It wins accompanied for some distance by some of the Air Force Moths. Before the start each member of the crew made- -a. brief speech which was permanently recorded. Squadron-' Leader Kingsford Smith expressed confidence that they would win through and achieve something towards linking 1 tip Empire air communications. The flight, he .said, was. one of a purely business nature and no attempt at record breaking was intended. , There was no news this afternoon of the Southern Cross. The latest advice from the plane was at three o’clock this morning, when the fliers expected to arrive at Wyndham between 9 and 10 o’clock this morning. Later the Southern Cross made a forced landing about 150 miles from Wyndham.

The actual whereabouts of the plane are wrapped in mystery. At a late lionr the only definite knowledge is that at 12.20 to-day a wireless from the plane stated the petrol was running out and the fliers were coming down.. It is reckoned they were then 150 miles from Wyndham, but there is no certainty about this and nothing further to throw light on how the landing was effected.

CREW AND PLANE SAFE. SHORTAGE OF PETROL CAUSED THE LANDING. Received 10.50 a.m. to-day. SYDNEY, March 1. Latest advices show that the Southern Cross was forced down two hundred miles from its objective owing to the petrol supply giving out. The country in the district is densely wooded and hilly, hut a landing was safely effected in the vicinity of the Drysdale mission station. The. crew and the machine are safe. It is expected to be Wednesday or Thursday before petrol supplies reach the plane.