FRIENDSHIP MISHAP

Press, Volume C, Issue 29662, 4 November 1961, Page 15

FRIENDSHIP MISHAP

Malfunction Of Valve Cause

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON. Nov. 3. The mishap to the National Airways Corporation Friendship aircraft -at Invercargill on October 16 had been due to a malfunctioning of the undercarriage selector valve, said the general manager of N.A.C., Mr D. A. Patterson, today. Mr Patterson today released the findings of the committee at inquiry into the cause of the inadvertent retraction of the port undercarriage of the aircraft. The undercarriage collapsed while the aircraft was being serviced. Damage to a propellor, the port wing tip, and to a small area of the fuselage resulted. Of the malfunctioning of the selector valve, Mr Patterson said that it had been caused by a high spot in the exhaust guide of the valve. The defect was attributed to a fault in the manufacture which had not made itself apparent before the mishap. After the mishap the suspected valve had been removed from the aircraft and the defect located after exhaustive tests at the corporation's engineering headquarters at Harewood. There was no possibility of a recurrence of the trouble, either when the corporation's Friendships were stationary or during landing or take-off.

"Immediate action has been taken to examine and modify all such selector valves to prevent a recurrence of the trouble,” said Mr Patterson, “and in the meantime the steps which the corporation promptly introduced after the incident will remain in force.”