DANGER WARNINGS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 253, 25 October 1937, Page 7

DANGER WARNINGS

UNSAFE LANDING PLACE IN CYPRUS LONDON, Oct. 22. Miss Batten, on her flight from Australia to England, made a perfect landing at Mezze Aerodrome, near Damascus. Flying conditions are ideal, and she is leaving for London at 4 a.m. local time. The receipt of the message from Beirut relieved growing anxiety for the safety of Miss Batten, who had been expected at Cyprus many hours earlier. In the meantime messages from Nicosia had recounted officials* efforts to warn Miss Batten about the dangerous state of the airfield. A cable was sent to Damascus in the hope that she would land there and warning her not to attempt to land at Nicosia. Efforts which were similarly made to warn Mr. H. F. Broadbent before his departure from Rome failed. He is due at Nicosia at about dawn, and it is feared that if there is further rain it may be difficult to land and take off. He has no wireless and there is no means of warning him. The Daily Mail states that Miss Batten had passed over Damascus and was heading towards the sea when she picked up the radio message: “Nicosia airfield unsafe after hpflw rain.” and so she turned back,