CRASH OF VULCAN BOMBER
ERROR OF JUDGMENT SAID TO BE CAUSE (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, December 20. The Secretary of State for Air (Mr Nigel Birch) today blamed an error of judgment on the part of the pilot and inadequate guidance from ground control for the crash of a recordbreaking Vulcan aircraft at the London airport on October 1.
Four men were killed when the delta-shaped bomber exploded in flames on its return from Australia The pilot and co-pilot were flung clear by their ejector seats.
Mr Birch told the House of Commons that he and the Minister of Transport (Mr Harold Watkinson). after careful consideration of the findings of the court of inquiry, agreed that there was an error of judgment on the part of the pilot in selecting a break-off height of 300 ft and in going below it.
The ground control approach controller did not warn the pilot that he was below the glide path and therefore dangerously close to the ground, he said.
The pilot of the Vulcan was Squadron Leader Donald Howard and his cc-pilot the Chief of Bomber Command, Air Marshal Sir Harry Broadhurst. both of whom survived the crash.
The four-jet bomber crashed at the end of a 26.000-mile round trip to Australia and New Zealand.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28158, 22 December 1956, Page 8
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213CRASH OF VULCAN BOMBER Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28158, 22 December 1956, Page 8
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