Call For Investigation Of Aircraft Salvage

Press, Volume C, Issue 29672, 16 November 1961, Page 16

Call For Investigation Of Aircraft Salvage

(New Zealand Press Association)

NEW PLYMOUTH, Nov. 15. Saying that the salvage of crashed aircraft was a new type of business raising many new problems in transport, the No. 6 Transport Licensing Authority (Mr A. K. Murray) at New Plymouth today Called on the Civil Aviation Administration and the Transport Department to investigate the situation. Mr Murray had been told that speed in salvaging, and special knowledge, core, and equipment were essential. “This is very important,” he said. “It raises something in the transport industry that has never been raised before. It should be investigated.”

He was not sure which was the most concerned with the matter, the Civil Aviation Administration or the Transport Department, but the former would know more about the need than he did, be mid. Before the Authority was an application from Robert Clow, ■ New Plymouth cartage contractor, for an amendment to his goods service licence M that he could carry uncrated airwaft and components tn the North Island In adjourning the application pending the suggested inquiries, Mr Murray said Clow could be granted temporary licences as required for the time being. If the matter came tn a hearing, there would be a special sitting.

probably at New Plymouth in the New Year. Earlier in the hearing, Mr Murray had mentioned that no licence was required for salvaging a motor vehicle. “I still feel there may be la relationship between wrecked vehicles and wrecked aircraft in respect of salvage," he said. He had been told in evidence that a specially-constructed trailer would be stationed at New Plymouth with Clow available to man it at any time in the 24 hours. Mr Murray saw an affinity between such a trailer and life-boats and fire engines, and suggested that the ordinary economics of such salvage made it seem wiser that trailer® should be placed at Strategic places so that they Would be nearer at hand to recover a plane quickly. When this proposition was put to a witness, it was pointed out that agricultural aircraft were widely distributed in their work, and one did not know where Or When they were going to crash.