FLIGHT TO AUCKLAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22935, 13 January 1938, Page 13

FLIGHT TO AUCKLAND

NO WORD : NO TRACE INTERRUPTED VOYAGE SEAPLANE'S VAIN SEARCH The Samoan Clipper of Pan American Airways, making the first southward flight of the new commercial air service between Honolulu and Auckland, is missing in mid-Pacific. The Clipper took off from Pago Pago Harbour, American Samoa, at 4.32 o'clock yesterday morning, New Zealand time, on the final stage of her southward flight, and she was expected to arrive at Auckland late yesterday afternoon. During the morning word was received at Auckland that the flying-boat had turned back for Pago Pago, owing to the fact that an oil leak had developed, but after that no radio messages were received from the Clipper and a search made for her by an American naval seaplane from Pago Pago was fruitless. Officials of Pan American Airways in Auckland were standing by throughout the day, but they received little in the way of wireless advice, owing to the fact that they were unable to raise Pago Pago. However, they were reasonably confident that the Clipper had made a safe landing either in the Tongan Group or in Western Samoa.

Captain Edwin C. Musick, who has made both previous trips to Auckland as master of the Clipper, is again in command, and has .with him a crew of six. Neither passengers nor mails are being carried on the southward flight, but there is a quantity of express freight on board.