The Vulcan Crash

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28089, 3 October 1956, Page 12

The Vulcan Crash

News of the accident to the Vulcan bomber at London airport has come as a great shock in New Zealand, where the aircraft aroused very great interest only two weeks ago. There will be very deep regret, at the deaths of the skilled airmen who were among New Zealanders so recently. The accident to the Vulcan in the very last seconds of a goodwill flight in which the aircraft effectively advertised a proud possession of the Royal Air Force was indeed sad. Fortunately, early reports, suggesting some fundamental failure of engine or design, have been discounted. The findings of the court of inquiry cannot be anticipated; but reliable observers’ reports suggest that the accident may prove to have been caused by human error in the procedure of landing. Britain has had in recent years more than its share of illfortune with the new, revolutionary aircraft that it has pioneered. It would be a serious setback if some fundamental weakness were found in the Vulcan, the first four-jet delta-winged bomber in the world. This aircraft is intended to be the spearhead of the bomber force of the Royal Air Force, and though its performance and many details about it have been kept secret, the Vulcan is believed to rank with, or ahead of, any comparable aircraft. Upon the Vulcan Britain has based its plans for equipping squadrons with aircraft equal to the best in the world. It is the product of years of research, planning, and construction. If human error rather than mechanical failure caused the crash, this maybe no more than a grim reminder that man, for all his aeronautical progress, has not yet mastered the hazards of climate and weather.