STRANDED PLANE

Southland Times, Issue 22486, 22 January 1935, Page 5

STRANDED PLANE

SALVAGE ATTEMPT FAILS.

[United Press Assn—Telegraph Copyright.) Darwin, January 21.

The attempt to salvage the Qantas plane Diana, which is at Port Stuart, 60 miles from Darwin, with a broken propeller, was abandoned at the weekend because of the rough seas, which forced the relief lugger to turn back. The Diana broke its propeller when it overturned after finding and landing alongside the air liner Athena. The Imperial Airways air liner Athena, which brought the Empire air mails, attempted a night flight from Koepang to Darwin on January 16, and ran into a storm overnight, being blown off its course. The pilot wirelessed distress messages, which, were picked up in Darwin, saying: “I believe I am lost. The petrol is almost exhausted.” Finally he was forced to land at Port Stuart, sixty miles east of Darwin. The machine was not damaged. A Quantas plane immediately began a search, and located the Athena early in the morning, but the former damaged a propeller when landing, and immediately transferred petrol, to the Athena, which completed the journey to Darwin. The mails are nearly two days late, mainly owing to a mishap at Karachi. ’