Poor Provision For Air Rescues

Chronicle (Levin), 31 March 1949, Page 6

Poor Provision For Air Rescues

Government Organisation In Need Of Overhaul Three major air disasters in eight months have found the Government organisation for rescue' or recovery operations sadly wanting in efficiency, and in no case was tlxis more apparent than in that of tlie most recent tragedy when. tlie National Airways Corporation Lodestar airliner, Kereru, erashed into the hills at Waikanae with a crew of two and 13 passengers ahoard. Here, as was tlie case when the Royai New Zealand Air Force Airspeed Oxford erashed into tlie Ruahine ranges in December last, with a crew of three aboard, and when the National Airways Corporation Locklieed Electra airliner, Kaka, erashed into Mount Ruapehu iu August of last year with a crew of two and 11 passengers aboard, all of the oecupants apparentiy had been kiiled instantaneously, but this faet was not known until some 2t) hours after the crash had oecurred. The possibility of future aircraft accidents cannot be ruled out, and it niust be a niatter for considerable coueern on the part of the publie that it took so long for recovery parties to reach the scene of tlie Kereru tragedy after the initial diseovery of the wreck; age from the air by siiotting aircraft. No oue knew when the wreckage was first located by air wliether tliere wero o any survivors or not. It might welJ have been that some had escaped the holocaust, perhaps badly injured but nevertheless with their lives. In such a l case speed of rescue undoubtedly would mean the diiference between life and death, and only lack of prearranged organisation in this instance prevented ground search parties from reaching tho wreckage on the same day as the crasii. The remains of the Kereru wero siglited by the pildt of an Auster air eraft at 12.15 p.m. on Friday, Mariri 18, and the wreckage was subsequently photograpked from the air in time fov a picture to be sent by speciai tele graph proeess for publication in aii Auckland newspaper on Saturday morning. Yet at 3.30 p.m. the main ground party had reached a point only just above the first major climb of 1000 fett vvhere they were halted for want of directions. At this stage a heavy mist had closed down on the hills and the spotting aircraft which was to have direct ed the party to tlie fateful ridge had been compelled to abandon its task. leaving the ground searchers with no reliable indication as to the wliereabouts of the crash and with no oppor tunitv because of the mists of making their own observations. It is contended that when the wreckage was first sighted and positively identified from the air aerial photographs could have been taken of the locqlity and rushed to the ground party, or dropped to the ground party by a spotting aircraft. Just before the mists caused thr Auster to abandon its task on Friday, March 18, it had dropped a written message to the ground party, proving the practicability of the suggestion that an aerial photograpli eould have been put in the possession of the searchers. From such a photograpli the local farmers with the ground party could have identified the ridge and led the searchers without loss of time to the wreckage. The aerial photograph which appeared in tho Auckland newspaper is proof that this avenue of assistanace was open to the authorities. No blame whatever attaches to those men who so readily volunteered or were direct ed for the work. They carried out their duties with zcal and determination, but on the Friday were de feated by lack of foresight and planuing on the part of the authorities. btill yet again, when the ground search was finally abandoned on the Friday when darkness descended,

rescue squads eould have Teached the" wreckage at a much earlier hour on the . O i y Saturday morning, and if any persons had miraeulously eseaped death in the. crash -these extra hours might have been precious indeed. The main party did not ' leave its' base eamp at the Jones homestead until 6 a.m., some time after daylight. From there it faced an arduous climb to the bushline, and at 7.30 a.m. in accordance with the arrangements made, linked up communication with an Auster spotting aircraft which directed the ground searchers to the wreckage which was not reached until 7.55 a.m. A much earlier start could have been made from the base camp, even in darkness, under the guidance of local farmers, so that the searchers could have been ready to enter the bush at daylight as soon as the spotting aircraft could operate with efiiciency. By these means up to an hour and a halt could have been saved, perhaps mor'e. Among the search party were mem bers of the police force who had been rushed to the base camp late on Friday afternoon. They were anything but properly equipped for the work which lay ahead, and although it was known to the authorities that the policemenwould have to stay the night at base camp still no effort was made to see that adequate equipment was taken to the men, some of vvhom made the difficult journey the following morning in slioes and without faeilities for carrying provisions, It does not require any commissioL of inquiry to ascertain the weaknesses of tlie search organisation on the oecasions of any- of the last three major air disasters. One eompetent Government official, liowever, sliould be appointed to report upon and correlate the lessom that have been learned by hard experi cnce with a view to the immediate setting up of a proper organisation to cope with emergencies of this category. Central police stations which are called upon to play a prominent part it> supplying men for search parties and for directing rescue or recovery operations sliould be equipped with adequate stocks of appropriate gear for issue to men when they are called out suddenly,

and definite arrangements should be made for photographic reconnaissanee of the area of any such accident for the adequate direction of ground parties.