Northwest History. Alaska. Distance Flights.

• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1931
• Subjects: nonstop flight; Fairbanks; Alaska; monoplane "Fort Worth"; Seattle-Tokyo flight; Reg L. Robbins; Harold S. Jones; Texas flyers; Yukon valley; Nome; Seattle; Bering sea; W. W. Conner; Washington state governor; National Aeronautical association; Unalakleet; Solomon; gasoline; Northwest; Pacific > History > 20th century; Bering Sea; Handle The; Pacific; Yukon
• Online Access: http://content.libraries.wsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/clipping/id/90255

Fog Forces Pacific Non-Stop Flyers Down At Fairbanks; Refueling And Plane Missing. Fog Forces Pacific Non-Stop Flyers Down At Fairbanks; Refueling And Plane Missing. FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Aug. 3. (/P) -- The monoplane "Fort Worth" landed here at 7:35 a.m., after failing in its second sttempted nonstop Seattle-Tokyo flight. Reg L. Robbins and Harold S. Jones, Fort Worth, Texas, flyers, explained the attempt had been abandoned because the Fort Worth and the refueling plane became separated in the lower Yukon valley in heavy fog. Show Signs of Strain. The flyers showed signs of disappointment and strain of their almost 27 hours in the air. The Fort Worth and its refueling plane never reached Unalakleet, where they planned the last refueling, they said. Weather at Unalakleet was reported good, but all other points along the Bering sea coast had reported bad flying weather. No word had been received here some time after the Fort Worth landed of the whereabouts of the refueling plane nor had any point having a wireless or telegraph station in the Nome region reported sighting the tri-motored plane. Robbins said he had circled over Fairbanks for three hours before being able to land because of bad weather. The ceiling was only 300 feet. Fear Plane In Trouble. Seattle, Aug. 3. (/P) -- Belief that the refueling plane which was to give Reg L. Robbins and Harold S. Jones its final load of gasoline over Bering sea must have come to grief at Unalakleet was expressed here today by W. W. Conner, Washington state governor of the National Aeronautical association, upon receipt of word that the Fort Worth had landed at Fairbanks. Took Off Sunday. The Fort Worth took off from Seattle yesterday at 7:02 a.m. and covered the approximately 1650 miles to Fairbanks is 12 hours and 50 minutes. The first refueling was complete in 50 minutes and the Fort Worth, with 200 additional gallons of gasoline aboard, swung off toward Unalakleet, weather conditions having proved more favorable there than at Nome, an alternative refueling point. The refueling plane landed, refilled its tanks to their full capacity and followed the Fort Worth. Was Second Attempt. Robbins and Jones embarked on their second attempt to accomplish a non-stop flight from Seattle to Tokyo and thereby win a prize of $25,000 offered by a Japanese newspaper. Their first attempt, made early last month, failed when the motor in the Fort Worth proved unable to handle the plane during a second refueling attempt over Solomon, Alaska, near Nome. They refueled successfully here, where 200 gallons of gasoline was taken aboard but could not effect the refueling at Solomon, where an attempt was made to take on a much larger quantity of gasoline. Robbins and Jones returned to Seattle.