KAKA PILOT'S LOG BOOK WITHHELD

Chronicle (Levin), 9 December 1948, Page 7

KAKA PILOT'S LOG BOOK WITHHELD

Press Associp.tionJ

Commander Rostered To Fly To Norfolk Island

(Per

WELLINGTON, Dec, 9. Evidence that Commander Hare was rostered to- leave Auckland for Norfolk Island at 8.15 a.m, on the moming following his fatal flight northward from Paraparaumu was produced by Mr. W. H. Cunning'ham, appearing for the Air Department, whenx the inquiry into the Ruapehu air disaster on October 23 was resumed todav. Mr. Cunningham said that because of this scheduled flight on the Sunday morning, Commander Hare may have been anxious to get back to Auckland on Saturday afternoon. It was also revealed that Commander Hare's personal log hook is held by his solicitor and has not been made available to the inspector of aircraft accidents. The first witness, Captain Henry Campbell Walker, N.A.C., chief pilot, produced details of the flying experience of Commander Hare and Second Officer Russell. Commander Hare had a total of 5004 flying hours, including 4319 in .eommand, of which 3137 were in command of multi-engined aircraft. He had 356 hours on Electra aircraft and 239 hours in command of Electras. His hours on the Whenuapai - Paraparaumu route were 49, of which 42 were in command. He had a B licence, a provisional instrument rating and aircraft radio-telephone operator's licence third class,«the corporation command certificate for Lockheed Electras and a route eompetency certificate. Commander's Qualifications On ,the route from WhenuapaiHamilton, Palmerston North-Para-paraumu-Dunedin, the corporation command certificate authorised the holder to command the aircraft named, continued witness. Commander Hare's eompetency to fly on instruments was last checked in October by the visual senior pilot, Captain Mathison. That was a route check and Commander Hare was' given an average assessment. N.A.C. gave navigational training in conjunction with the instrument course, said witness. Commander Hare was given a complete instrument course, includinp' dead reckoning and positioning by radio bearings, and the use of automatic radio-compass. His navigation was quite satisfactory. Captain Walker said that Commander Hare's log book was held by his solicitor. To Mr. Cunningham, witness said he doubted that Commander Hare was rostered to leave for Norfolk Island on October 24. Shown a document recovered from the Kaka and asked if it indieated that Commander Hare was so rostered, Captain Walker .said that he would - not accept that without checking N.A.C. records. The document produced was not addressed to anyone. Mr. Cunningham: It was found in the aircraft and is dated October 19. Sir Harold Johnston, K.C.: What is the point? Mr. Cunningham: It shows that he may have been anxious to get back to Auckland to leave for Norfolk Island in the morning. Mr D. W. Virtue, for N.A.C., said' that the production of this document was a surprise to him. As it was signed by some person in N.A.C., they should have been gi /en the opportunity of producing that person as a witness. "I knew" nothing of this until a moment ago. It is unsatisfactory that we did not have advance notice of the- production of this document." Referring to Commander Hare's log book, Mr. Virtue said he did not know who Commander Hare's solicitor was.

Sir Harold Johnston asked who the log book belonged to. Captain Walker replied that it 'was the pilot's own. Mr. Virtue: This is the first mention as far as I am concerned that the log book is not available to the board. It might have been mentioned to me that an attempt had been made to get the log book. Mention of Weakness Captain Walker said the log book was the pilot's own personal record and was normally kept with his own belongings. The corporation did not require the pilots to keep their log books with them at all cimes. The corporation kept its own complete log of a pilot's flying and required to see the pilot's personal log only once in six months to keep the summary of his flying up to date. The log of actual journeys flown was obtained by the corporation from its own journey logs.

Mr.. Cunningham: The journey log was recovered from the wreckage. The regulations require a pilot to produce his log book to the corporation if required. It is a document which ought to have been available Jo the" inspector of accidents. Captain Walker said that Second Officer Russell had a total flying time of 1049 hours, of which 231 were as a pilot in command, including 198 as a pilot in command of multi-engined aircraft. He had 146 hours in Electras, of which 129 hours were as co-pilot, and 32 hours on the route. He had a B licence and an air telegraph operator's licence. He did not hol-d a command- certificate or any route eompetency grading. His B licence was- not endorsed for Electras. The designation co-pilot did not necessanly mean that the pilot was fully qualified to take over the aircraft,

but he would be capable of doing so. Similarly, in regard to taking over without possessing an instrument rating, he would be capable of doing so. He was canable and qualified as far as the department's requirements were concerned. Th^y hoped to improve the position by liaving the co-pilots fully qualified. The co-pilot's primary duty was as radio operator, but he should be capable of taking over in an emergency, added Captain Walker. Sir Harold Johnston: That shows a present weakness. Mr. Cunningham said that to the public the classification of pilot and co-pilot conveyed the impression that the co-pilot could take command. ' Captain Walker said that the copilot was quite competent. He was not incompetent because he did not hold the neeessary licences to take command. Second Officer Russell had taken a complete instrument course and had had constant practice. Co-pilots were qualified in i every respect for at least the one i type of aircraft on which they flew.. It would be impossible to qualify them in every type. Second Officer Russell was qualified and held a command certificate on Douglas aircraft.

Captain Walker said that Commander Durning's statement that no reliable bearings could be taken from the centre of the island on the Wanganui and Hamilton homers was .substantially cSrrect. That condition prevailed whenever bad weather was ' experiehced and there was interferen.ee with radio reception. The corporation knew that before September from pilots' experiences on that route. The corporation knew the limits of radio aids on that route before they started the Hamilton service. Of .the weather on October 23, Captain Walker said that he would go no further than to say that it was a day on which instrument "flying was neeessary. He knew of no special instructions to pilots for flying in that weather. He agreed that for instrument flying eonditions pilots should brief themselves very carefully on the weather for the route. The h earina; is proceedina,