PILOT HELD TO BLAME
FATAL AIR CRASH AT RONGOTAI CANCELLATION OF LICENCE RECOMMENDED (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, March 1. A recommendation that the pilot should have his licence cancelled for three months was submitted to the Minister in Charge of the Air Department (the Hon. F. Jones) by the board of inquiry set up to investigate the accident to the aeroplane ZK —ABV, in which a passenger, R. L. Elliott, was killed, and the pilot, William Smillie, was injured at Rongotai aerodrome on December 3.
The board’s finding was that the non-observance of the circuit rule by Smillie was due to his culpable carelessness and neglect, and. while it thinks that' some of his actions when in difficulty were due to comparative inexperience, it holds that most of his difficulties arose from his own election to disregard an order specially drawn up and promulgated to ensure safe and orderly air traffic control at the aerodrome.
Smillie was ordered to pay £lO towards the expenses of the inquiry. Three recommendations which are appended are being adopted by the Minister. They include one that every notice to airmen issued in pursuance of the regulations should be addressed and posted to every “A” pilot with his current licence.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22340, 2 March 1938, Page 5
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205PILOT HELD TO BLAME Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22340, 2 March 1938, Page 5
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