HAZARDOUS AVIATION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17099, 4 November 1929, Page 7

HAZARDOUS AVIATION

IN CANADA'S FAR NORTH ONE PLANE WRECKED NINE OTHERS MISSING (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Received November 4, noon.) VANCOUVER, Nov 3. The hazardous nature of winter aeroplaning in Canada's frozen north was illustrated by a dramatic) fatality at Mayo, on the southern edge of the Canadian Klondike. About the same hour news came- of the disappearance. of two Alaskan Airways planes, piloted by Lieut. Eielson, the famous companion of Sir Hubert Wilkius, and e'lank Derbandt.

A plane was taking off along the Lank of the Stewart river, on an iced run-way, and rose only a few feet when it. suddenly fell. Pilot Patterson, who had not the slightest chance of extri eating himself, was drowned when tho piano sank beneath the ice. Several planes have been operating between Mayo and Skagway, accomplishing in five hours trips which occupy weeks for dug teams. Eielson and Der band* are Jong overdue from Nome, Alaska, to East Cape, Siberia, where they expected to pick up six passengers and a valuable fur cargo. It it feared that heavy snow storms forced tho planes down. The McAlpine party is still missing in the Hudson Bay country. Two planes with a millionaire and mining men disappeared eight weeks ago into the frozen north, and a search has been made by planes, which have flown 100,000 miles, but not the slightest sign of the has been seen. The supposition is that the planes landed on some remote lake, and that they are frozen solid and unable to move. The iliers probably have already starved to death.