Although the floodlights at the Croydon airfield were turned off at 11.30 p.m. yesterday, signal lights and border lights continued burning at the aerodrome, The Croydon ground staff and Customs and Aliens Depart" ment officials also remained on duty at the field throughout the night.
British aviation experts feared that Smith had failed in his daring attempt because of darkness and had fallen without informing the world as to his whereabouts.
His failure to reach Croydon long after reports that he was heading for the London air port indicated that he hud been forced down or had crashed, the aviation experts said.
Earlier, Mr. Smith was believed to have been sighted over five different areas. He was reported to have flown over Londonderry, northern Ireland, although the reports said the plane was flying too high for an accurate identification. The officer on duty at Croydon announced that a message had come from Foynes that Mr. Smith had landed there and refuelled yesterday afternoon. Foynes officials, however, denied by telephone that Mr. Smith had landed there.
The Rynnana, Aldergrove and Baldonnel airports in Ireland and the Irish Air Ministry were without any news of Mr. Smith.
Among the places where an unden tified plane was reported to have been sighted were St. Bees, Cumberland, and Renfrew, Scotland.—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.