KINGSFORD SMITH LOST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20993, 2 October 1931, Page 9

KINGSFORD SMITH LOST.

[£>NG OVERDUE AT ROME. NO TRACE SINCE WEDNESDAY. SILENCE OF WIRELESS SET. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.. / (Received October 1, 11.45 p.m.) LONDON, October 1. Despatches from Rome state that Air-Commodore Kingsford Smith is missing. He left Aleppo, Turkey, at 4 a.m. yesterday, in continuation of his flight from Australia to England, his destination for the day being Rome, where he was expected at 6 p.m. The airman had not arrived at 1 1 p.m., however, when, after an anxious wait, the lights at the air port were turned out. An all-night vigil was maintained at the air port, but not the slightest inkling of the whereabouts of Mr. Smith was obtained. The anxiety for his safety is intensified, because no wireless signals have been heard from his machine. It is feared that the flier has been forced down by lack of petrol in the back country in the Balkans. Air officials in London are puzzled because Mr. Smith has not used his emergency wireless set. Every air port on his route reports not having even sighted the machine. The Rome correspondent of the Evening News says it is considered possible that the airman might have come down in Italian territory, as his route from Aleppo enters Italy just north of Bari. Thence it goes over the Apennines, passing no inhabited centre larger than a small village. It might take Mr. Smith many hours, to reach a village and send news if his wireless was not functioning. This region is very wild and experts consider that the chances of the flier landing without crashing would be very small. Members of the Italian Air Force, acting on the instructions of the Air Ministry, are keeping ambulance and repair aeroplanes constantly ready. No effort yet has been made to search for the missing airman, since the chances of finding him in the countless small valleys in the Apennines are almost negligible.