“Danger For Jets At Harewood”

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30393, 18 March 1964, Page 20

“Danger For Jets At Harewood”

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, March 17.

The Minister of Civil Aviation (Mr McAlpine) said today that he would not accept responsibility for permitting passengercarrying jets to land at Harewood “while there is even a vestige of danger to human life.”

He said the most lethal phase of flight was the descent phase. Without doubt, non-direc-tional beacon procedures were unsatisfactory for jet aircraft with their high speeds and high load work, the Minister said.

Large jet aircraft approaching Christchurch from Australia would commence

let-down procedure out at sea. about 20 miles west of Hokitika, he said. They would then fly over the full width of the Southern Alps in their glide path across the South Island during the let-down process. “This is exactly the pattern of most of the jet accidents which have happened when approaching airports without essential navigational aids,’,’ he said.

Mr McAlpine said that when he was opening the National Airways Corporation training centre at Christchurch earlier this month, he had said that recent jet aircraft accidents, involving large losses of life, could easily have happened at Christchurch airport without an instrument landing system. “Could Not Happen” “A number of people commented on this statement. All of them said it could not happen at Christchurch, as that was the safest aerodrome in New Zealand, and quoted an aviation authority as the source of information. “I agree entirely that Christchurch airport is the safest civil airport in New Zealand—l have always said so, and would repeat it today,” Mr McAlpine said. But he referred to symposiums held in Rome and Britain towards the end of last year. They had emphasised the necessity for such equipment as instrument landing systems and radar. He quoted a brief extract from one of the papers presented at the flight safety symposium held in Britain This said:

“A study of the 100 notifi able jet accidents which occurred on revenue flights dur ing the four-year period 195962 showed that 20 were fatal killing 1057 people. Lethal Phase “The most lethal phase of flight was the descent phase and, without doubt, N.D.B (non-directional beacon) procedures are unsatisfactory for jet aircraft, with their high speeds and high work load. “It is significant that no fatal jet accident happened when a fully serviceable I.L.S. (instrument landing system) front beam was being used.” Mr McAlpine said he would prefer the opinion of two international bodies as to what constituted safety, rather than to listen to the opinion of a few enthusiastic, but uninformed, local persons. t