Court Hears Evidence On Fire-Fighting At Air Crash

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27396, 8 July 1954, Page 12

Court Hears Evidence On Fire-Fighting At Air Crash

WELLINGTON, July 7. The fire officer on duty at Paraparaumu at the time the National Airways Corporation’s Piere crashed nearby on May 22, told the Court of Inquiry into the crash today that an earlier witness, who suggested that the fire-fighting equipment had not been used most effectively, was wrong. The fire officer (Mr D. J. Shuker) of the Civil Aviation Administration, said that a crash tender driven by himself, with a crew of two, and a water carrier with a driver and crew of two, left immediately for the scene. They were followed by another two tenders and the ambulance. It took about three minutes to cover the two miles to the crash, and when they got there the roof of the aircraft had already gone. The first crash tender was brought into action immediately, and most of the fire was brought under control.

The witness whose evidence he was criticising, Arthur Fitzgerald Martin, a refrigerating engineer, said that the lives of at least one or two of the three children killed .could have been saved if the fire-fighting, equipment on the spot had been brought to bear effectively. Mr Martin said he ran to the crashed aeroplane as it settled, and the crash waggon and fire-fighting tanker from Paraparaumu airfield arrived not many minutes afterwards.

He said that the firemen began using two hoses, which were not long enough or did not have enough pressure to get the foam to the seat of the fire. He suggested to two firemen that they couple the two hoses, but they were “too busy.”

Mr Martin said he then found a longer hose in the tanker, but in spite of bis efforts, this was not brought into use either. Nor was any portable firefighting equipment used nor any attempt made to get into the burning aeroplane. One woman was calling out for her child. But another said all the children were out with the other passengers. There was ddubt about whether anyone was still in the aeroplane. “At least one or two children could have been saved if the fire-fighting equipment had been brought to bear effectively,” he said. “I understand it was there, and could have been used.” Use of Hoses Defended

Discussing Mr Martin’s evidence, Mr' Shuker said that the first crash tender was taken as close as possible. The hoses—two 50ft lengths—were used at their maximum effective length. If a longer hose had been used the foam would have started to “break down.” “At the time of the crash Mr Martin

caused us a great deal of difficulty,” he added. “I thought he was a passenger, and he appeared to be a passenger greatly shocked. He rushed round and put the man handling the branches off a lot.” The witness said that there was a 100 ft length of hose available, and this was used if the fire-fighters could not get alongside a crash.

He told Mr D. W. Virtue, appearing for the National Airways Corporation, that they did not have respirator equipment for going into a smokefilled cabin.

Oliver James O’Brien, investigating officer in the Accidents Investigation Branch of the Air Department, was recalled at the request of Dr. R. G. McElroy, of Auckland, representing the pilot and co-pilot of the aircraft, to answer questions about the fuel sup-' ply valves, which were put in as exhibits today by Mr W. H. Cunningham, representing the Minister m charge of Civil Aviation. To Dr. McElroy, Mr O’Brien said he had not been present when the valves were opened for checking after being stripped from the wreckage of the aircraft, which had been taken to Harewood.

He agreed that the valves, in view of his theory for the engine failure, were a very important exhibit, but there was no significance in the fact that they were not produced when he gave his evidence yesterday. They had been available in Air Department if required. They had been in the department’s custody since being stripped from the aircraft. Fuel Starvation Theory “I agree they are very important to a fuel starvation theory,” said Mr O’Brien. “I formed a theory on those lines about an hour after the accident. When you have ’a simultaneous engine failure one’s thoughts naturally turn to the drawing of fuel from the .tank.” He ruled out the possibility of ignition failure as a cause. It was extremely unlikely that both engines would fail at the same time from that cause. He considered that the ignition switch could not vibrate loose.

Consulting maintenance records for the aircraft, Mr O’Brien said the ignition switch had done 4699 hours of the 6000 permitted hours since its previous overhaul.

To Mr Virtue, Mr O’Brien said his office had had an observer at the stripping of the engines, representing the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

Marcus George Pezaro, of Auckland, a passenger in the aircraft from Christchurch, said he travelled down from Auckland, often to Christchurch, 10 or 12 times a year. After a rather stormy trip from Harewood on May 22, he noted that the aeroplane was “undoubtedly low” and he remarked to a fellow passenger that it seemed they were to make a beach landing. Dr Pezaro said that shortly afterwards he noticed the engines *roared and the nose- of the aeroplane lifted. Then he felt the first impact of the aeroplane. In what seemed a fraction of a second after it came to rest, the front of the aeroplane became a mass of flames.

People became excited and the fumes were intense. He lost his glasses, without which his vision was almost nil. He was thrust to the floor of the aeroplane and lay there, feeling as .though he was becoming unconscious from the fumes, until he was slid along the floor by someone and helped out of the aeroplane. The witness said he was badly burnt and spent a week in the Wellington Public Hospital He thought the type

(New Zealand Press Association)

of door in the plane could be improved for emergencies. Had the pilot and co-pilot both been killed or knocked out, many would have died or been badly burnt, said Dr. Pezaro. Although he was not an aeronautical expert, he said, he was convinced that lives could have been saved and people would not have been burnt to such an extent if the door could have been opened more easily. Another passenger, Phillip Murray Shaplin, a schoolteacher, of Pokeno, said that as the aeroplane was coming in to Paraparaumu he formed the impression that the runway must extend right to the beach. The engines had been cut out and he thought they were about to land, but the engines picked up and the aeroplane began to climb steeply. He held on to his daughter. The aeroplane settled down on the road, and he saw small flames and wreckage at the front of the aeroplane. He undid his daughter’s and his own lap straps, and they were able to get out of the aeroplane. His wife followed them out. His wife brought out a baby which he thought had been in a carry-cot.

Their own son, Murray, appeared to have been thrown off his wife’s knee. At the stage when Mrs Sharplin came out, black smoke was pouring out of the fuselage. He and Captain W. B. Pettet, the pilot, had both tried to get into the aeroplane to get Murray, but could not do so. Robert Hector Ballar, N.A.C. station engineer at Paraparaumu airport, said he w T as at home when he heard the airport siren. He reported to the airport and soon after was at the scene of the crash. Plugging of Petrol Leak Mr Ballar described how he had managed to insert a wooden plug in the open end of the leaking fuel pipe and the flames were subdued, about eight minutes after he had arrived. The firemaster found a child’s body in the fire area as soon as the flames were extinguished. Another was found near the side of one of the front seats. Mr Ballar said that after a thorough search he found a third child’s body about 18in from the port cabin wall and 3ft forward of the cabin door.

To Mr Virtue, Mr Ballar said that fire-fighting at the airport was the responsibility of the Civil Aviation Branch of the Air Department, though the N.A.C. sometimes provided personnel with the tenders.

The flow of petrol from the broken fuel pipe had been free, but not squirting out as if under any pressure, he said. The time between the crash and his plugging of the pipe would be about 25 minutes.

Alfred Leonard Cobb, a gardener, who was the first Paraparaumu witness to reach the scene when the Piere crashed, said that he saw First Officer V L. A. Powell “looking in a very bad way,” climbing over the branches Of si macrocarpa tree next to the aeroplane. Then he saw Captain Pettet, who pushed him aside, rush to the door of the aeroplane and start struggling with it. Finally the door opened, and black smoke and a tongue of flame came out. “Had Captain Pettet not kept his wits and opened the door, using -his strength on it—well, he saved about 20 people’s lives. When they came out they had just about had it,” said Mr Cobb. Captain’s Movements About one minute before the engine stopped, approaching Paraparaumu, Captain Pettet, who was in- the passenger cabin, returned to the cockpit, said Mr J. J. Richardson, a chiropractor, of Christchurch. Mr Richardson said he considered it was a normal approach to Paraparaumu until the engines stopped. It was the silencing of the engines that to him that they# had stopped, and then he heard a noise like a selfstarter before they started again. There was a sudden drop in height, then a roar of the engines, and the nose of the aircraft came up quickly. The plane tilted, there was a crack, a series of violent bangs, and severe vibration, said the witness. After the crash he went fb the door and found that others were trying to open it, but apparently could not, so he went along the cabin and broke a window. • “I got my head and a shoulder through, but I got jammed in it,” he said. Through the window he saw Captain Pettet coming from the front of the plane to the door, and when it opened he managed to free himself from, the window and get out. Dr. McElroy: Captain Pettet is clear that he went back to the cockpit earlier than you think.

Mr Richardson: I am very definite it was about a minute before the engines cut out. I remember remarking to a fellow traveller that it was very fortunate for us that he got back. To Mr G. B. Bolt, a member of the Court, the witness said he thought the engines were off for about 15 seconds.