AIR TRAGEDY.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19805, 18 December 1929, Page 5

AIR TRAGEDY.

EVIDENCE AT ENQUIRY. POWER AND DESIGN OF MACHINE CRITICISED. [THE PKESS Special Service] AUCKLAND. December IT. The Air Force enquiry concerning the crashing or the Dornier-Libelle flying boat off Milford Beach last Thursday, involving the deaths of the pilot. Captain D. F. Haikness. anJ mechanic, C. F. Goldsbro. was resumed to-day. F. Hetier he was in his garden on the poiut between Milford and Castor Kay when he saw the flying boat. It was flying very low inland and almost touched a group of maeroearpa trees. Witness thought for the moment that the machine would strike his house, but it deviated slightly and seemed to miss the ground by little more than a dozen feet. The machine then gained height and crashed over the water. After hitting the water the flying boat turned slowly on its back. Recalled, Captain W. Man. pilot of the machine since its assembly, en id he considered the flying boat was interesting rather than difficult to fly. A pilot inexperienced in its type would find it difficult until he had controlled it for about ah hour. The filing position was quite different from that of a normal land machine. Captain Wallingford (to witness): With the defective air speed indicator would an inexperienced pilot stall very easily? Witness: Yes. The flying boat was very light on controls, and without en air .speed indicator a strange pilot might ftet into trouble Mr Seymour said that petrol feed trouble experienced by Captain Alan in the trials were interesting, in view of information just received from the Australian agenj for Dornier-Libelle machines .it Newcastle. The letter had been addressed to Cnotain Harkness and bore the date of the day of the crash. The letter stated: "We have had similar experiences with the Libelle. I stated in my last letter that we had some trouble with the petrol pump. Mv friends decided to instal 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 by increasing the revolutions of the engine. With the propeller supplied by Dornier's the maximum revolutions are 1900, while the engine ie built to do 2100. T have tnk.-'n up this matter with Dornier's and have recommended them to improve the d.esign of the Libelle. Tn any case T will recommend future clients to have the boat equipped with a Cirrus Hermes or a Siemen's S.H. 14." Captain Man said the experience was comparable to his own operation of the machine. The flying boat had never failed him in the air. but he could not get the maximum engine revolutions and power to lift a pilot and two passengers. Major Isitt said the police were making farther investieations and the enquiry would probably be resumed within a few days. On the evidence alreadv available he might make a report to headquarters.