MILFORD AIR CRASH

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 871, 15 January 1930, Page 11

MILFORD AIR CRASH

(From yesterday's late edition.)

BOARD OF INQUIRY GIVES FINDING ERROR OF JUDGMENT Special to THE SU -V WELLINGTON, Tuesday. That the fatal disaster to the Dornier-Libelle flying-boat at Milford in December was caused by the impulsive decision of the pilot in deciding to take the air after tests which he had first intended to be carried out only on the water was the finding of the Board of Inquiry which heard evidence concerning the causes of the accident. The inquiry was instituted by the Defence Department and sat in Auckland on December 16 and several days following. The personnel of the board was Flight-Commander L. M. Isitt, who is in charge of the Hobsonville Airdrome, Flight-Lieutenant S. Wallingford, and Flying-Officer R. J. Copley, of the Auckland Aero Club. Mr. D. Seymour appeared as counsel for Aerial Services, Ltd., the owners of the flying-boat. According to the evidence of Captain Man, who had carried out the first tests of the fly-ing-boat for the company, Captain Harkness, on the afternoon when the accident happened, was to carry out tests by taxi-ing. Captain Man never for a moment believed that Captain Harkness intended to go up in the air when he took the machine out. TURNED ON A STALL

The finding has just been released. The board found that the immediate cause was the pilot’s error of judgment in attempting to turn when the engine was stalled. The board considered that the machine had been taxied on the water to test the engine, and that upon the trials being satisfactory an impulsive decision was made to test the aircraft in the air. Colonel Dalton, in releasing the finding of the board, attached the following memorandum: —“I concur with the finding of the Court and consider that the accident was principally due to the lack of experience of the pilot.” The finding reads:

1. Nature of Accident.—The aircraft crashed out of control from a height of approximately 300 feet. 2. Immediate Cause of the Accident. —The pilot’s error of judgment in attempting to turn with the aircraft in a stalled condition.

3. Contributing Causes. —(a) Inexperience of the pilot on the type; (b) air speed indicator defective; (c) from the evidence available it is impossible to determine (1) whether*the engine failed in any respect, (2) If ballast, in the nature of a stone, was carried. 4 Airworthiness of Aircraft. —The aircraft appears to have been serviceable with the exception of: (a) Instruments (air speed indicator, ovaltimeter and altimeter), (b) auxiliary petrol system. This modification should not have been installed. 5. Pilot’s Previous Flying Experience.—Total, 180 flying hours, 170 hours’ various types of land planes during the war, five hours three minutes 1926 refresher course at Wigram Aerodrome, five hours 40 minutes on D.H. Moths gipsy land plane. Pilot’s log book is not available. The pilot had not previously flown either a float seaplane or flying boat, and had not been in the air in the Dornier Libelle. He held a Class A pilot’s licence for Gipsy Moth landplane. 6. Registration and Licence of Pilot, Mechanic and Aircraft. —Pilot, mechanic and aircraft were not licensed. Application had been made for a B licence for the pilot and for a certificate of airworthiness for the aircraft. It had also been intimated by letter to the director of air services that the services of a ground engineer were being procured and that commercial flying would not be commenced until the aircraft, pilot and mechanic were fully licensed. Note. —The question of the aircraft being flown without certificate of airworthiness and by an unlicensed pilot is covered in the International Air Convention, which allows unregistered aircraft to be flown and unlicensed pilots to fly for the purpose of becoming eligible for the required licence.

The flying-boat was ' of German build, and had been imported by an Auckland company for commercial flying. On December 12 last Captain D. E. Harkness, D.F.C., aged 34, pilot, and Mr. C. Goldsboro’, aged 38, mechanic, took the machine out on the harbour to carry out tests, the intention being to “taxi.” The machine rose in the air, and flew down the channel to Milford, where, in turning, it fell into the water. Both men were drowned. Captain Harkness had considerable experience of airplanes during the war, but was not familiar with flying-boats.