INQUIRY ENDS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 137, 8 December 1930, Page 11

INQUIRY ENDS

LOSS OF THE RlOl

PREPARATIONS FOR FLIGHT

WERE THEY RUSHED ?

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, 6th December. At tlie final sitting of the Court of Inquiry into the ]oss of the airship R.lOl, Squadron-Leader Nixon, 'who is in charge of the organisation at Cardington, sepakiiig under stress of emotion, recalled that Wing-Commander Colmoro, one of the victims, who was Director of Airship Development, inspired the drawing up of a document estimating the fuel requirements for the Indian trip. This showed much more difficult conditions than were expected.

The witness said that 'Wing-Com-mander Colmore told him that Major Gr. H. Scott, who was in charge of the flight, would have to satisfy him that the conditions were move favourable before he sanctioned leaving Karachi. He would not run risks, even under Lord Thomson's pressure, therefore he asked that arrangements be made enabling Lord Thomson to return in an aeroplane by 20th October, if necessary. Wing-Commander Colmore for two years previously had urged the construction of mooring-masts at Malta, Bagdad, or Basra, not only in view of possible emergencies, but because the move would be commercially sound when the service began, the witness continued. The Air Ministry answered that the airship programme already was much extended, and. the Treasury could not be asked for more money before some flying -was done.

Squadron-Leader Booth, questioned regarding Dr. Bckener's evidence, gave it as his opinion that an airship generally does not keep to an accurate height. After changing watch the coxswain going off should stand by the newcomer for two or three minutes to see that he got the correct feel of the ship.

Dr. Eekener said previously that if the coxswain was changed shortly before the accident the newcomer might not have realised that the ship was dipping, and this being so, would not have taken the measures necessary to counteract the movement in time to prevent a. crash.