AIR ACCIDENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 125, 28 May 1937, Page 10

AIR ACCIDENTS

FACTS TO BE STATED GOVERNMENT POLICY An announcement that the Government intended in future to announce the main facts regarding aircraft, accidents was made1 by the Minister Of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) today. The Minister released reports dealing with recent Dunedin and Greymouth accidents. "It is desirable," said the Minister, "that the public should know that all aircraft accidents are the subject, of inquiry by the Air Department. Every accident is investigated immediately by the Inspector of Accidents and a report is submitted to the Minister. From this report it is decided whether a further inquiry is necessary. In the future, it is the intention to release the .main facts of these reports for publication. "In the case of two recent major accidents, it has been decided that a board of inquiry, consisting of a chairman and two technical assessors, will take evidence and submit its findings to the Minister." The main facts from two recent official accident reports by the Inspector of Accidents are as follows:— Shortly before 4 p.m. on March 23, an aircraft belonging to the Otago Aero Club crashed into the ground a few miles away from Taieri aerodrome, in the course of a solo practice flight by a pilot member of the club. The machine was completely wrecked and the pilot was killed. The pilot held an "A" licence, and Up to the day of the\accident had completed six hours' solo-flying. He had obtained the permission of. the club instructor for the flight, which was for the purpose of practising spinning, in which evolution he had already received instruction. The weather was fine and in all respects suitable for the proposed flight. On the morning of March 23 the aeroplane was inspected and certified as airworthy by a qualified ground engineer at Taieri aerodrome. Immediately prior to the flight on which the accident occurred the machine had been flown by another club member, who reported its control to be in all respects satisfactory. As a result of liis investigations.the Inspector of Accidents has come to the conclusion that no structural failure of the aircraft or defect in its control mechanism occurred during the flight. He considers that the cause of the accident cannot be definitely determined, but that the evidence suggests, as the most likely cause, that in the course of the spinning manoeuvres in which he was engaged the pilot, through an error of judgment or temporary dizziness, permitted the aircraft ,to dive and reach a speed at which it was impossible to regain control in the height available. CRASH INTO SEA. At approximately 2 p.m. on April 11, a Moth aircraft loaned to the West Coast United Aero Club crashed into the sea about 70 yards from the shore at the south-west corner of the Greymouth aerodrome, in good weather conditions. The pilot suffered slight head injuries, and the aircraft was completely wrecked. The pilot had held a class "A" endorsed licence since May last year, and his total flying time up to the day of the accident was approximately 50 hours. He had last flown for one hour on March 14 last. After a normal take-off the pilot engaged in steep turns at a height of about 800 feet, and within five minutes of the commencement of the flight came into contact with the sea. As a result of his investigations the Inspector of Accidents arrived at the following conclusions:—(a) That the aircraft was in airworthy condition prior to and during the flight, (b) That misuse of the rudder control during a steep turn resulted in the machine going into a dive at too low a height in which to regain control, (c) That the pilot, in executing steep turns at such a low height, was taking unnecessary risks, (d) That the accident must be attributed solely to poor technique on the part of the pilot in matters of airjnanship.