PLANE OVERDUE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 8 October 1936, Page 7

PLANE OVERDUE

LORD SEMPILL’S MONOSPAR WEAK SIGNAL HEARD AT DARWIN NO SIGN OVER TIMOR SEA (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) SINGAPORE, 7th October. Lord Sempill’s Monospar ’plane is five hours overdue at Koepang, and was last seen 450 miles from Darwin. H. Wood is accompanied by the designer of the ’plane, F. F. Crocombe, the engineer, L. Davies, and the radio operator, C. P. Gilroy. The machine had a load of 11,3001b5, chiefly petrol and spare parts. Wood planned to reach Singapore, 2347 miles from Darwin, to-day. DARWIN, 7th October. Pilot Wood intimated before he took off that they intended to breakfast at Koepang at about 7.30. Iflie radio directional station at Darwin heard a last weak signal from the ’plane when the machine was about 70 miles from the coast of Koepang. A Quantas mail-’plane with British mails which left Koepang at 12.45 p.m. for Darwin, wirelessed that there was no sign of Wood’s ’plane over the Timor Sea.

The Air Force at Singapore have communicated with Batavia, Sourabaya and Koepang, offering aid if necessary in the search for Lord Eempill’s Monospar.

FEEBLE S.O.S. MESSAGES RECEIVED AT DARWIN BELIEVED TO BE FROM TIMOR ISLAND (Received Bth October, 10.40 a.m.) DARWIN This Day. After fourteen hours of grave anxiety for the safety of the crew of Lord Sempiil’s Monospar, feeble S.O.S. messages were received between 9 and 10 o’clock last night, Darwin time. So faint were the messages that it was difficult to make anything of them, except that they were S.O.S. signals. A bearing taken on the directional wireless apparatus at the Royal Australian Air Force station at Darwin gave their position as on Timor Island about 60 to 70 miles from Koepang. It is assumed that the plane was sending from the beach and the crew were generating power by hand. The word “batteries” was heard in one message and it is believed that the plane’s batteries are failing, weak messages were still being: received at midnight.

NO TRACE FOUND (Received Bth October, 1.50 p.m.) KOEPANG, Bth October. There is no trace of the Croydon Monospar in the whole of Timor. The Government boat Merel is on a seal eh in the Timor sea. The ’plane is on the return from Australia to England. Lord Sempill is not on board, having left the party to proceed Home while on the outward flight.

JEAN BATTEN’S PROGRESS TWO DATS TO BASRA

ACHIEVEMENT HIGHLY PRAISED BASRA, 7th October. Jean Batten arrived at 3.50 am G.M.T. and left for Karachi at 4.45 a.m. . . Jean Batten’s achievement in flying in two days from London is highly praised, especially her splendid night flying across Iraq. She intends to fly from Karachi non-stop to Calcutta. ARRIVAL AT KARACHI (Received Bth October, 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, 7th October. Jean Batten arrived at Karachi at 7.10 p.m. local time, and is leaving for Allahabad to-morrow. SEVERE SANDSTORMS ENCOUNTERED (Received Bth October, 10.40 a.m.) KARACHI, 7th October. Jean Batten says she encountered severe sandstorms over .Task and was compelled to fly at a height of 10,000 feet.

FLIGHT ROUND THE WORLD

EKINS AT RANGOON (Received Bth October, 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, 7th October. Ekins, one of three American journalists flying round the world, arrived at Rangoon.