Girl Flier’S

Mishap

Was Lost For Three Days On Flight To Wau.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Pt. Moresby, Feb. 18.

Miss Barbara Hitchins, The 23-

years-old Sydney flier, was missing for three days on a flight from Ke rema (Papua) to Wau (New Guinea) this week. She was found safe yesterday 60

miles south-west of Madang in the Man dated Territory. Her ’plane was slightly damaged.

In her Gipsy Moth, Miss Hitchins left Kerema, a Government station on the Papuan coast, about 200 miles N.-W. of Pt. Moresby, on Monday, the 14th. The flight should not have taken more than an hour and a half. Wau later reported that she had not arrived there, and no news was received of her from any other centre.

Apparently, Miss Hitchins overshot Wau, her objective, and after travelling to the north was forced down in the Madang area. Many searchers went out, includ ing P.O.D.'s amphibian and Ray Parer’s ’plane. Late yesterday afternoon Pilot G. Cannon, of Guinea Airways, sighted the missing machine. Pilot Jack Todd, of Stephens Airways, landed beside it, and took Miss Hitchins to Madang.

Previous Forced Landing.

Accompanied by Mr. W. Roberts, who has mining interests at Kerema, Miss Hitchins left Sydney for Papua and N.G. on January 21. She arrived at Pt. Mores by on January 27, after an uneventful six-hours’ flight from Cape York.

On February 2, the undercarriage of her ’plane was damaged when she made a forced landing at Vailala River, near Kerema. Miss Hitchins escaped injury.

Miss Barbara Hitchins, on her arrival at Kila Kila aerodrome, Port Moresby.