FLYING ACCIDENTS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 8, 5 October 1943, Page 4

FLYING ACCIDENTS

R.N.Z.A.F. Losses In New Zealand

A total of 66 deaths from flying accidents occurred among personnel of tbe Royal New Zealand Air Force in New Zealand in Hie year ended on September 30. Forty-six of the fatalities took place this year, compared with 15 in the same period last year. Discussing in February the vise in the rale of accidents, the then Chief of the Air Staff. Air Commodore R. V. Goddard, said it did not imply a rise in the risks of Hying. Nor did it imply a full in the efficiency of Hying or of maintenance and supervision. The rate of Hying casuallies in New Zealand compared favourably with that elsewhere and the cHicieney of lhe Netv Zealand technical organizations and lhe proficiency of tbe instructional'and supervisory staffs were probably not excelled. As an indication lie pointed out that more than 1.000,000 miles were flown for every fatality. The main factors in the higher accident rate were the greatly-increased number of flying personnel mid the faster aircraft used. The Air. Force had expanded greatly in the period under review and even at the normal accident rate more fatalities must result. Faster aircraft, most of them high-performance, operational types, were more liable to bo dangerous because of the need among the crew for quicker judgment, while at. the same time the aircrafgt demanded more space in which to manoeuvre.