" ▁lost ▁effective ▁two - way ▁radio ▁contact . ▁Race ▁control ▁does ▁seem ▁to ▁have ▁heard ▁at ▁least ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁S OS ▁calls ▁that ▁" U iver " ▁wireless ▁operator ▁Van ▁Bru g ge ▁made . ▁Van ▁Bru g ge ▁heard ▁the ▁advice ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁reported ▁as ▁being ▁over ▁Y ack and and ah , ▁that ▁they ▁should ▁keep ▁west ▁and ▁that ▁lights ▁at ▁the ▁air field ▁at ▁C oot am und ra ▁were ▁being ▁switched ▁on ▁for ▁them . ▁With ▁no ▁effective ▁a ids ▁for ▁navigation ▁the ▁air lin er ▁had ▁dr ift ed ▁off ▁course . ▁In ▁Melbourne , ▁air ▁race ▁officials ▁were ▁expecting ▁the ▁" U iver " ▁to ▁arrive ▁about ▁thirty ▁minutes ▁after ▁mid night . ▁At ▁about ▁twenty ▁minutes ▁to ▁mid night ▁Al bury ▁residents ▁heard ▁a ▁tw in - engine ▁aer op lane ▁high ▁overhead ▁trav elling ▁towards ▁Melbourne ▁and ▁assumed ▁that ▁the ▁DC - 2 ▁was ▁on ▁its ▁way ▁to ▁the ▁finishing ▁line . ▁Half ▁an ▁hour ▁later ▁they ▁were ▁surprised ▁to ▁hear ▁the ▁ro ar ▁of ▁a ▁tw in - engine ▁aer op lane ▁cir cling ▁low ▁above ▁the ▁dense ▁storm ▁clouds ▁over ▁the ▁eastern ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁town . ▁Cl if ton ▁M ott , ▁a ▁sub - editor ▁from ▁the ▁local ▁newspaper , ▁Border ▁Mor ning ▁Mail , ▁ph oned ▁air ▁race ▁officials ▁in ▁Melbourne ▁from ▁the ▁newspaper ▁office . ▁They ▁confirmed ▁that ▁the ▁air lin er ▁had ▁lost ▁radio ▁contact ▁and ▁was ▁probably ▁in ▁grave ▁danger . ▁Arthur ▁New