Claim That U.S. Air Ships Are Safest

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5315, 30 January 1947, Page 5

Claim That U.S. Air Ships Are Safest

WASHINGTON, January 29. Foreign air lines were "three to 20 times as dangerous as United States airlines," said the Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Mr. William Burden addressing the House Inter-State Commerce Committee investigating air crashes. Mr. Burden conceded that progress of air safety in the United States was not satisfactory, but insisted that the safety performance was not poor. "In sober fact, it has been by far the best which has been aehieved by any airlines in the world." j Mr. Burden did not specify the degrees of alleged dangerousness in foreign lines. The Deputy Commander J of the Army Air Forces,, LieutenantGeneral I. Baker,.said that the Army Air Force 'used radio for bad weather landings extensively, and in recent months only 12 per cent. of Air Force accidents were due to the weather. Pilots' errors normally caused 70 per cent. of the Army Air Force crashes. The Douglas Aircraft Company issued a statement in :N'ew York to-day regarding the recent crashes pointing out that there are 7'000- D.'C.3 (Dakota) aircraft in service throughout the world. 'It was estimated that one D.C.3 takes off, on the average, every 10 seconds. The statement said: "At this distance and without additional authentic information, nohody can tell what factors contributed to the Copenhagen accident or other crashes. Maintenance and operational procedures and the weather often contribute to accidents. This company has no control over the operations of aircraft at home or abroad, beyond recommendations for safe and proved procedures, which are generally followed."