SOVIET PLANE BLAMED

Chronicle (Levin), 20 April 1948, Page 5

SOVIET PLANE BLAMED

—Reuter,

British Cortraissions Report On Berlin Smash

(N.Z.P.A.-

, Copyright)

Received Tuesday, 9.55 a.m. LONDON, April 19. The British Court "of Inquiry into the collision between the British airliner and a Soviet fighte't over Berlin on April 5 reported. that there was no evidence to show that it was anythii.g but an aceident. The report exonerated the airliner 's pilot of all blame. The cause of the aceident was- the Soviet fighter's action, whieh disregar-ded the accepted rules of fiying and particulafly the quadripartite fiying rules for. Berlin. The report said that the Soviet fLghter, after performing aerobatics, dived from a cons'ider-abie height, -made a steep climbing : urn and collided head-on with the airliner. An examination of " the wreckage of the Soviet fighter showed it was not preparing to land. The airliner was outside the two mile circuit of the' Soviet aerodrome- at Daglow when the collision occurred. In the House of 'Commons, the Foreign Sesretary, Mr. Ernest Bevin, said that in view of the co.urt's finding Britain would claimj , compensation from Russia. Asked whether jet flgh'ters would escort British airliners if there was further interference, Mr. Bevin said: "I am golng to assume that the Soviet is going to be sensible. Therefore, I won't indulge in threats." The British authorities in Berlin have sent a copy of the court's report on the crash to the deputy Soviet commander, LieutenantGeneral Dratvin. The court's letter to General Dratvin added_that if the Russians wanted further clarification, Air Commodore Waite, head of the Inquiry Commission, would meet them.