AIRPLANE SEARCH COMMENCED

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 288, 25 February 1928, Page 1

AIRPLANE SEARCH COMMENCED

By Cable.—Press Association .— Copyright. Received 11.15 a.m. 4 SYDNEY, To-day. There is still no news of Mr. Bert Hinkler since passing Katherine. An unconfirmed report states that he made a forced landing near Cloncurry, and that his machine was damaged. Bad weather has ruled in the districts over which he was to have flown. Experienced airmen say that there is no cause for alarm. An airplane search will commence at daylight to-day.

A NXIETY is felt regarding Hinkler’s whereabouts. According to a message from Port Darwin, he left there at 7 a.m. yesterday for Bundaberg, proposing to spend the night, at Cloncurry, in Western Queensland. He hoped to complete the journey to-day. At 9.15 a.m. yesterday he passed Katherine, where he dropped the following message: “Good-bye Katherine. See you again.” He was expected to reach Cloncurry before dark. It is feared that he may have met with trouble or been compelled to land while flying over the wide, difficult and sparsely-peopled country between Darwin and Cloncurry.—A. and N.Z.

courageous and skilful British airman flew about 12,000 miles in just over 15 days at a cost of about 2Jd a mile.

Katherine station is on the main overland route, about 200 miles south-east of Darwin. The town of Cloncurry is in Central Queensland, half-way and in a direct line between Darwin and Bundaberg-.