AIR FORCE CREW and Plane Located

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 111, 23 April 1936, Page 5

AIR FORCE CREW and Plane Located

AUSTRALIAN FLYERS Men Safe—Machine Made Forced Landing LAND PARTY TO RESCUE (By Telegraph—Frees Assn., Copyright.) (Received 23, 10.40 a.m.) SYDNEY, April 23. The missing Air Force Dragon Rapide aeroplane was sighted from the air yesterday at 2.30 p.m. It had crashed in timber country in the Northern Territory 40 miles from the nearest water-hole. Hely and Walking'ton were leaping round apparently fit and anxious to indicate that they were unharmed. Sherwood, the third member of the crew, was not seen on the plane’s first trip, but when the Demon machine made its second trip he was sighted. He also appeared to be fit.

A land party expects to reach the scene of the forced landing this afternoon. The wings of the Dragon Rapide appeared to be damaged. A message to this effect was received by the Air Board, Melbourne, from Flight-Lieutenant Simms, who added: “I dropped food and water and tomorrow will proceed by truck to pick up the men.” A later message from Flight-Lieuten-ant Simms states tha. the missing aeroplane was located by Air Force Hawker Demons about 50 miles to the northeast of Wavehill and close to a stock route where water was available at irregular intervals, At least six aeroplanes have been engaged latterly in the search, covering 5000 miles daily over most inhospitable, arid, spinifex-broken granite country. Tho search planes had followed many false clues. Yesterday, however, they continued in the direction of the broad arrow seen from the air, with the result that the missing machine was located not nearly so far away as anticipated. It was ascertained from a number of stockmen camped near Victoria Down station that they had teen an Air Force plane on Monday, April 13, but since then it had not been reported. The stockmen indicated the direction of flight, which was most helpful.