DEATH OF AIR VICE-MARSHAL
EVIDENCE GIVEN AT INQUEST (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.)
(Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, August 20. At an inquest at Stafford on Air Vice-Marshal William Brook, aged 52, who was killed in a Meteor jet crash, his flying instructor, Flight Lieutenant M. Morley, commander of a jet conversion flight, was asked by the Coroner if Air Vice-Marshal Brook “wasn’t rather old” to fly jets. Flight Lieutenant Morley said he would rather not answer. He said the average age of Meteor jet pilots in the squadron was 23 and pilots taking the jet conversion course were on the average aged 37 to 38. “I agree that pilots’ reactions must be exceptionally quick when piloting Meteors, but I don’t agree that a quicker reaction is fenerally found among younger people. associate it more with experience.” He added that it appeared that the aircraft did not suffer any technical failure, but that Air Vice-Marshal Brook was carrying out manoeuvres which were not part of the exercise. He shoulq not have been flying at treetop height. The Coroner returned a verdict of misadventure.
Air Vice-Marshal Brook, Air Officer Commanding No. 3 Group, Bomber Command, was to have become ViceChief of the Air Staff next month. He had been on jet flying instruction for five days.
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Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27124, 21 August 1953, Page 9
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212DEATH OF AIR VICE-MARSHAL Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27124, 21 August 1953, Page 9
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