MISSING AEROPLANE

Evening Star, Issue 22464, 8 October 1936, Page 9

MISSING AEROPLANE

LORD SEMPILL'S MDHOSPAR FEARED FORGED DOWN AT SEA press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright SYDNEY, October 7. A Darwin message states that it is feared’that the Monospar plane piloted by Wood lias been forced down in the Timor Sea, and the Government, patrol boat Larrakia has been despatched to search. The machine took off from Darwin at 4.50 a.m. local time, ami since has not been reported. FOUR PEOPLE ON BOARD DARWIN, October 7. Wood is accompanied by the designer of the plane, Mr F. F. Crocombe, the engineer, Mr L. Davies, and the radio operator, Mr C. P. Gilroy. The machine bad a load of 11,3001 b, chiefly petrol and spare parts. Wood planned to reach Singapore, 2,347 miles from Darwin, to-day. OVERDUE AT KOEPAHG SINGAPORE, October 7. The Monospar is five hours overdue at Koepang, and was last scon 450 miles from Darwin. LAST WIRELESS SIGNAL DARWIN, October 7. (Received October 8, at 1.30 a.m.) Pilot Wood intimated before ho took off that ho intended to breakfast at Koepang about 7.30. Tho radio directional station at Darwin heard the last weak signal from the plane when the machine was about 70 miles from the coast of Koepang. Tho Qantas mail plane with British mails left Koepang at 12.45 p.m. for Darwin, and wirelessed that there was no sign of Wood’s plane over the Timor Sea. OFFER OF AID SINGAPORE, October 7. (Received October 8, at 10 a.m.) The Air Force here has communicated with Batavia, Sourabaya, and Koepang offering aid if necessary to search for Lord Sempill’s Monospar. FAINT SIGNALS HEARD PLANE THOUGHT TO BE ON TIMOR ISLAND DARWIN, October 8. (Received October 8, at 11 a.m.) After 14 hours of grave anxiety for the safety of the crew of Lord Serapill’s Monospar feeble SOS messages were received between 9 and 10 o’clock last night (Darwin time). So faint were the messages that it was difficult to make anything of them except that they wore SOS signals. A bearing taken on tho directional wireless apparatus at the Royal Australian Air Force station at Darwin gave their position as on Timor Island, about 60 to 70 miles from Koepang. It is assumed that the plane is sending from the beach and that the crew is generating pow'er by hand. Tho word “ batteries ” was heard in one message, and it is believed that the plane’s batteries are failing. Weak messages were still being received at midnight.