DANGER IN THE AIR

Hokitika Guardian, 17 December 1931, Page 3

DANGER IN THE AIR

AN ANALYSIS (XF ACCIDENTS. Aviation is not inherently dangerous, hut the air, to an even greater extent than the sea, “is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity, or neglect.” ' Captain A. G. Lamplugh, F.R.Ae.S., of the,, British A,viation, In- ' surance ’Group,' one of the greatest authorities on flying accidents in " the

world, expressed this opinion in. a lecture to the Royal Aeronautical Society recently. He gave some hitherto, unpublished statistics of aviation accidents. In the same period structural or mechanical breakdown causes have declined to about 20 per cent. Captain Larnplugh has worked out the Idanger periods in the pilot’s career. Among professionals it is in the early twenties. Between the ages of 30 and 40 the professional pilot’s expectation of life apnea!is to be good as compared with any other class of pilot. It is distressing (says the “Evening Standard”) to find the number of fatal and serious accidents to amateur pilots caused through over-confidence, inadequate training, carelessness, or deliberate foolhardiness. The danger periods are between 20 and 30 hours’ experience, between 80 and 120' hours, and between 500 and 600 hours.

The last period is not easy." to account for except on the assumption that the pilot has acquired ahle degree of perfection, but has not yet learned that no amount of skill will avail against the elements of certain conditions. “Error .of judgment” is a declining factor, hut for the amateur class of -pilot it*declines very slowly, and this- is due to the great increase in the number of inexperienced private owners. Faulty navigation in the professional class is responsible for only 2.84 per cent, of accidents, whilst in the ■amateur class it accounts for 11.37". per' cent. Structural failure has been a ‘bigger cause of accident to big aircraft abroad than in this t country, but in all countries light aircraft have suffered from this cause, especially when flown by amateur pilots, and ito doubt unskilful handling and lack of skilful inspection have been chiefly responsible.