MISSING AIR-LINER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 761, 6 September 1929, Page 9

MISSING AIR-LINER

ERRONEOUS REPORT OF DISASTER PLANE NOT YET FOUND j (Australian and X.Z. Press Association) (United Service) Received 9.5 a.m. LOS ANGELES, Thursday. The Albuquerque report about the finding of the wreckage of the airliner City of Francisco, with its passengers and crew dead, has been shown to be erroneous. Officials announced on Thursday that the machine was still missing. The officials were informed that Indians- had found the wreckage in an isolated .spot in the desert, but investigation proved fruitless. Reed. 9.32 a.m. WASHINGTON, Thurs The reported discovery of tlie transport plane proved incorrect. The Army and Navy have issued rush orders for all available planes to join the others which are already searching. Tlie report which now is - contradicted said eight lives were lost in a Hying accident on Wednesday. A passenger air-Lner belonging to the Continental Air Transport Company was in flight from Los Angeles eastward (the report stated) when it was struck by lightning and crashed. The five passengers and the crew of three men were killed. The airliner was the City of Francisco. It had been missing since early on Tuesday morning. The pilot was attempting to fly over the mountains in the region of Gallup, when the. machine crashed in the desert, so it was said. There was a terrific storm in the district at the time. FAMOUS PILOT KILLED LIGHTNING EXPLODES MONOPLANE (Australian and X.Z. Press Associatioyi) NEW YORK, Wednesday. Major John P. Wood, a famous airmail pilot, was attempting to lower the record for the flight between Los Angeles and Cleveland, when his monoplane exploded in the air and he was killed. The mechanic jumped out with a parachute and was injured. Major Wood’s body was found in the tangled wreckage of the monoplane on the desert today. According to the mechanic, lightning struck the machine in the exceptionally severe storm which was sweeping tlie surrounding country.