Government to Hold An Open Inquiry Into N.S.W. Plane Crash

Grey River Argus, 8 September 1948, Page 3

Government to Hold An Open Inquiry Into N.S.W. Plane Crash

(Rec. 10.35). CANBERRA', Sept. 7. A Judge will be appointed to conduct an open inquiry into the loss of the airliner Lutana, near Quirindi last Thursday. This was announced to-day in the House of Representatives by the Prime Minister. Mr Chifley said that, although it was not. normal to hold such an inquiry where the cause of an accident was easily ascertainable, in this case the Minister of Air, Mr Drakeford, had decided that an ppen inquiry should be held. In drafting the terms of reference, the Government would consider suggestions that the inquiry should check on whether the present navigational aids were sufficient, and whether the navigational regulations should be amended. SYDNEY, Sept. 7. The Acting Leader of the Federal Opposition, Mr E. J. Harrison, said that the Government must institute a searching and open inquiry into the “Lutana’ ’airliner disaster. He added that the public was entitled to know whether the existing air safeguards were sufficient to protect the lives of air travellers, whether those safeguards had been complied with, and whether any additional safeguards were necessary. At. Tamworth, Dr. C. Archbold conducted a post-mortem examination of the 13 persons killed when the “Lutana” crashed into Ben Evers, near Quirindi. three victims have been identified and a mass burial is probable. An Australian National Airways spokesman said that the next-of-kin of the 10 passengers would each receive £2OOO. The only other occasion on which it had been necessary to pay this insurance was in February. 1946, when a plane crashed near .Hobart when taking off for Melbourne, killing 21 passengers and the crew of three.