FLYING-BOAT TRAGEDY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 849, 18 December 1929, Page 8

FLYING-BOAT TRAGEDY

EYE-WITNESSES’ EVIDENCE

STONE PROBABLY CARRIED

“I was standing outside my house, | which is situated on the hill between j Milford Beach and Castor Bay, when I ] noticed the flying-boat approaching. It j was flying on the downward grade and j flying very low. I thought it was going, j to hit the trees on the point, and even J feared it was going to strike my j house,” said Mr. Frederick Better in his evidence before the court of inquiry which continued yesterday afternoon to conside” the causes of the accident to the Dornier-Libelle flyingboat off Milford Beach on Thursday evening. The evidence was heard before Major L. M. Isitt and Captain S. Wallingford at the Hobsonville Air Base, and Flying-Officer R. J. Copley, engineer to the Auckland Aero Club Continuing, Mr. Retter said that the machine then turned and went straight out to sea toward the Rangitoto beacon. It rose in its flight a little and then nose-dived to the water. In answer to Major Isitt, witness said that he did not notice the machine spin. It went straight into the water. Albert Edward Ottley said he was on Thorne’s Beach on the afternoon of the mishap, when he saw the machine fly overhead to Milford, where he saw it crash. The engine appeared io be running smoothly. Before the crash he noticed the machine turn suddenly to the left, and then back again quickly to the right. It then wobbled and dived. On hitting the water it appeared to bounce. Witness said he went out to the launch, which was dragging the submerged machine In. When in about eight feet of water. Constable Woods dived down and discovered that two men were in the cockpit. Major Isitt: Did you see any sign of the stone? Witness: No, and I heard no reference to any stone. LITTLE DOUBT Major Isitt said that from the various evidence he had from outside sources, and which would be heard later, there seemed little doubt that the stone was in the machine. The witness Brown had said that he lifted a stone from the cockpit when the machine was in three feet of water. When recalled to give further evidence, Captain W. Mann said that he saw the stone which was carried in the cockpit. He did not examine it as his chief concern at that time was the bodies in the machine, but he had no doubt at all the stone was in the cockpit. Major Isitt: Do you remember when the stone was removed from the machine? Captain Mann: I cannot be definite about that, but I feel that the stone was removed shortly after tile bodies were exposed, which would be when the machine was about 30 yards from the beach. In answer to Captain Wallingford, witness said that the plane was not difficult to fly. It was more interesting than difficult. But lie considered that it would be difficult for a pilot inexperienced with the type. Until he had had about an hour in the air a pilot would find the flying position rather peculiar as it was quite different from the usual airplane. With a defective air-speed indicator, witness considered that an inexperienced pilot would stall easily. The Dornier was very light on the controls.

Major Isitt said it was his theory that the stone had been carried in the back seat. When the machine turned over on the water it may have been dislodged and have thus fallen across the pilot’s knees, where a previous witness found it. He thoqght they could find out whether a similar stone was taken- from the sheds near the moorings of the flying-boat. If the stone had been in the cockpit from the first he would have expected that the control column would have been damaged in the crash. PETROL FEED TROUBLES “The petrol feed troubles experienced by Captain Man in the trials are interesting, in view of the information just received from the Australian agent for the Dornier-Libelle machines at Newcastle,” said Mr. Seymour, who appeared for the company, Aerial Services, Ltd. The letter had been addressed to Captain Harkness and bore the date of the day of the crash. It stated: “We have had similar experiences with the Libelle. I stated in my last letter that we had some trouble with the petrol pump. My friends decided to install an Avro windmill pump. Since then the feeding system has been working quite satisfactorily. My friends have also come to the conclusion that the Libelle is slightly underpowered when taking off with two passengers. They are at the present moment experimenting to overcome this trouble by increasing the revolutions of the engine. With the propeller supplied by Dorniers, the maximum revolutions are 1,900, while the engine is built to do 2,100. I have taken up this matter with Dorniers, and have recommended them to improve the design of the Dibelle. In any case I will recommend future clients to have the boat equipped with a Cirrus-Hermes or a Siemens S.H. 14.” According to Major Isitt the police were making further investigations, and the inquiry would probably be resumed within a few days. MILFORD AIR CRASH

HARBOUR BOARD’S REFERENCE Two days before Captain D. E. Harkness met his tragic death in the flying-boat accident at Milford Beach, he approached the members of thq Auckland Harbour Board, asking that consideration should be given to the provision of accommodation in the harbour for seaplanes and flyingboats. The board decided yesterday to defer consideration sine die. The harbourmaster, Captain H. H. Sergeant, who witnessed the crash and later supervised rescue operations, submitted a report. The chairman, Mr. M. H. Wynyard, said it was regretted that Captain Harkness and Mr. C. F. Goldsbro should have met such a fate. Wreaths had been sent to the funeral on the board's behalf. The prompt action of the harbourmaster was commended and it was decided that no charge should be made for the use of the board's vessel, Orere, which assisted in salvage. i