STILL NO SIGN

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20125, 22 February 1937, Page 7

STILL NO SIGN

THE MISSING AIR LINER. DISAPPEARANCE NEAR SYDNEY. CRASH INTO SEA FEARED. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. SYDNEY, Feb. 21. There is still no sign of the missing Stinson air liner, and fears are entertained that it crashed into the sea on the way from Brisbane to Sydney. Thirteen aeroplanes have been employed in the search for the machine. Reports that it was seen passing over various points south of Taree lead to the belief that it vanished within half an hour of Sydney.

One report stated that the Stinson was seen over Gosford between 4.30 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday. The area in which the aeroplane apparently disappeared is closely settled and it is considered to be almost unbelievable that it could have crashed on the land without the accident being reported within a day. It IS reported from Brisbane that one man who travelled in the Stinson as “J. Barnett” was Mr J. R. Binstead, of Manly, who was flying under the assumed name because his wife was nervous of air travel and he did not want her to know he was making the trip. A report was received from Nambucca on Friday night that the machine was heard over that midcoast town at 2.55 p.m., but it is possible tiial it may have been a sister aeroplane, en route to Brisbane, which leaves Sydney at 1 p.m. daily. There is a fifth passenger, Mr J. S. Proud, of Sydney. Mr J. Westray is a member of Lloyds, London, and Mr W. Fountain is a New York architect who has been supervising the building of a theatre in Brisbane. * The remaining two are Mr R. Graham and Mr J. Barnett. MISS JEAN BATTEN. MAKES AN EXTENSIVE SEARCH. . HOPE OF RESCUE ABANDONED. United Press Assn.—Eiec. Tel. Copyright. (Received Feb. 22, 11 a.m.) SYDNEY, Feb. 22. Miss Jean Batten, the New Zealand flier, joined searchers yesterday, making an extensive flight. Hopes that the personnel of the missing Stinson will be found alive have been practically abandoned. A search by air and land throughout the week-end failed to reveal any trace.