INQUIRY OPENS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 April 1931, Page 4

INQUIRY OPENS

ON SOUTHERN CLOUD. (Australian Press Association) SYDNEY, April 10. The Federal Air AccuLius Investigation Committee lus opened an inquiry as to the loss of the “Southern Cloud’ 1 on March gist, with six passengers and two pilots. C. T. Flm, who >s a Director of th-a Australian National Airways, tho owners of the plane, gave evidence. He said that although the maximum load for the Company’s aeroplanes was 10.2'Y) pounds, the total weight on tho Southern Cloud on th e day of its disappearance was 10,099 pounds. Thero was, he said, a considerable and ample safety margin in Unit respect. The decision as to whether any aeroplane should Start or not if the weather were unfavourable, and also the choice of route", wore left absolutely to the judgment of the pilot. He (Ulni) was not prepared to admit that such a police overloaded the pilots with icspon« sibility. Ulm emphasised that inspection or the Company’s aeroplanes was going on the whole time. Their standard of inspection, .he claimed, was Hie highest in the world. Their Company’s chief engineer went to England and had ten months’ experience i n the factory where triple-engined machine"* Wei® built. The Company also brought out four engineers who served a particular factory. Between Sydney and Melbourne there was probably one nun, tired thousand square miles of country where a big aeroplane like tK Southern Cloud could not land without something being broken, or damaged; hut. even if one eneiim failed, the Audit could lie commuted with tlm other two. The question of installing wireless in th e Compnnv’s plains was vow receiving attention. His Componv’s aeronkmes lmd flown 6/1-0 0 miles since its inception with a single mishap.