DOUBLE AIR FATALITY

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20500, 17 May 1938, Page 2

DOUBLE AIR FATALITY

OFFICIAL INQUIRY OPENS THREE HYPOTHESES PRESENTED (By Telejripii.— Press Association) I HASTIN' ,5, Monday An Inq art nl « I Matni ero- : N » Poosengc , Robert Arnott, Courthouse this morning. Mr AV. f, StiKvell. S.M., is chairman, and as•ociated with him are Commander Bolt, chief pilot of cook Sti-j.t Air ■Way*, and Squadron-Leader 11. H Burrell. of the Hoyai New Zealand Air Torce Dr. N A. Foden appeared for the ,\ir Department. Mr \v L Averall for the relatives. Mr T. E. O'Dowd for the Hawke's Bay and East Coast Aero Club and Mr \V. E. Bate for Mr A. F. ?k>wyer, the ground engineer. Dr. Foden said the Air Department put forward thre*i possible hypotheses, first, there was the possibility of s defect in the original construction of the machine. Second, the possibility Of a subsequent defect after the machine having been put into commission, and third, the plane might have been subjected to a strain it was never intended to bear because of some faulty handling by the pilot. Gilbert Henry Tresseder, farmer, of Crownthorpe Settlement, gave evidence that lie heard a plane functioning all right. A second or two later h p heard an unusual roar of the sngine. Immediately after he heard a cra»n. The wreckage suggested the plane hit the ground with a terrilie impact. The occupants of the plan were beyond human aid when he reached the machine.

Vt’illiam Arthur Darragh, of Awapiko, said the plane was travelling on an ; even keel when it turned suddenly j into a dive. The right wing seemed to become displaced. When the dive started the engine raced. Instructor’s Evidence Edgar Francis Harvie, instructor to the Hawke’s Bay and East Coast Aero Club, said the Hornet Moth was classified in the normal category, which did not permit aerobatics. This precluded the machine from any abrupt changes in altitude and attitude. Witness said that Miss Arnott could get out of a spin. She had had no aerobatic training and had done no blind flying. The effect of going into cloud would be new to her. Dr. Foden: What would be her re- j actions in the cloud? Witness: I suggest that Miss Arnott 1 entered the cloud and misjudged its ’ proportions. When she found she did not come out of the cloud within three seconds she may possibly have tried to get out, of it by diving. When flying blind it Is impossible to tell whether one is flying level or wiseRoy Champion Kean. Inspector *of > sir accidents, expressed the opinion ] that from the evidence that had been i submitted the pilot had shown an | error of Judgment in flying into cloud with no previous knowledge of blind flying. __________