FURTHER WITNESSES HEARD AT INQUIRY

Grey River Argus, 7 October 1948, Page 7

FURTHER WITNESSES HEARD AT INQUIRY

WELLINGTON, Oct. 6

The inquiry into the crash of a National Airways Dakota on a ireighi charter flight from Woodbourne to Paraparaumu on August 9 was continued. Members of the board of inquiry are Mr W. F. Stilwell, S.M., Wing Commander T. J. McL. de Lange, and Captain P. F. le Couteur. The aircraft crashed near Port Underwood. Both the captain (Commander M. C. McLeod) and the copilot (Commander R. H. Makgill) were killed.

Harry Francis Cantwell, fisherman, Blenheim, who was travelling off the entrance to Port Underwood on the ' morning of the accident, said he saw the Dakota flying clear of the cloud as it crossed the coastline on whai appeared its normal course. It was still clear of the cloud when he last saw it. The witness indicated on the map the positions of the aeroplane when he first and last observed it. I These were on a line parallel to and to the west of the direct line of flight from Woodbourne to Paraparaumu as shown on the map. The cloud was at about 500 feet and the aeroplane was Hying at about 400 feet. Eric Robinson McDonald, inspectoi of aircraft for the National Airways Corporation, said the aircraft hao been under his jurisdiction since its overhaul the previous July. There

had been no complaint against the gyroscopic direction indicator since the overhaul. The compass had been swung at the time of the overhaul. Don Alexander Falconer, freight clerk at Woodbourne, said 7741 b of oayload was loaded into ZK-AOE on the Friday night. The aeroplane could have taken -86491 b and was therefore 9531 b under-loaded. Freeman Jesse Steel, Controller of Operation in the Civil Aviation Branch of the Air Department, said the permit for the service laid down that the crew should be a pilot and radio-operator-co-pilot, who were to be qualified according to the manual of operations. This would mean that the pilot would need to hold a B commercial licence endorsed for Dakotas and the second member as co-pilot and radio-operator would need to hold a valid aircraft radio operator’s licence. To Mr Blundell, the witness said the flying regulations required pilots meeting cloud to turn back or make for another landing place.

Certificate of Airworthiness

To Mr D. W. Virtue, representing the National Airways Corporation, th_ witness said that apart from me reference to the radio operator, the certificate of airworthiness of the aircraft did not further specify the crew. It did not say that one person could not be the holder of both pilot and radio-operator licences, but he felt that they should be held separately Re-examined by Mr Cunningham, the witness said the certificate for service made it clear that there must be a pilot and radio-operator each with a certificate appropriate to the post he was to fill. The chairman: Was regulation 12, 1, D waived in accordance with any statutory requirement?—l could not say. (Regulation 12, 1, D prohibits the flying of any aircraft on service with liie passenger’s or co-pilot’s seat and controls assembled unless both persons forming the crew’ hold B licencos). Henry Campbell Walker, chief pilot of the National Airways Corporation, produced the records of the two pilots. Makgill had held a B licence, but it was no longer current. Loth were very experienced pilots. Makgill had just taken a special instrument course, but he received quite a considerable amount of current flying. Because of disciplinary action, Quite apart from flying grounds, MacLeod had been rostered rather longer than normal on the freight run. ' To Mr A. S. Wiren, appearing for the relatives of Makgill, the witness said he considered on the flight that Makgill was getting “command practice” under MacLeod, having been rostered for that. MacLeod would be open to permit Makgill to pilot the aeroplane and would radio operate himself, MacLeod would have duplicate control but would not treat Makgill as a beginner. To Mr Virtue, the witness said that as far as he knew Makgill only needed a certain amount of command practice flying to requalify automatically for his B licence. Makgill held the necessary qualifications for the issue of an air radio operator s licence. Re-examined by Mr Cunningham, the witness said he considered the corporation was entitled to carry out command practice in these flights.

Licence Lapsed John Graham Campbell, clerk in the licensing section of the Civil Aviation Branch, said Makgill had been issued with a B licence on April 30. 1938. It had lapsed about June 30 this year because its validity had expired and there had been no application for renewal. Magkill held a navigator’s licence and this had also lapsed on that date, rhe corporation had been notified on July 23'that Makgill could not be accoided an instrument rating because he did not possess a valid B licence. To Mr Virtue, the witness said an application for the renewal of a licence was a matter for a pilot and not th Alln ri Mason n Forbes Alexander, who left Paraparaumu at 8.15 a.m. the morning of the accident and.ariived at Woodbourne at about 8.55 a.m., in ai Electra aircraft, said he passed the area in which the accident occurred about 8.5 a.m., but he would be further out to sea. The flight was clear of cloud and in good visibility to 1 ory Channel. Thereafter there was cloud cover with its base at. 700 i to 800 ft, with “tops” up to 2500 ft. He flew at 500 to 600fet. He made an allowance of about five degrees for drift. The inquiry was adjourned.