Power Lines PILOT WARNING RECOMMENDED

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31763, 21 August 1968, Page 1

Power Lines PILOT WARNING RECOMMENDED

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, August 20.

The Civil Aviation Department’s Chief Inspector of Accidents (Mr E. F. Harvie) has called for brightly coloured markings to warn pilots of high-voltage power lines.

Mr Harvie made the suggestion in his report of an accident last May in which three people died after a helicopter had struck power lines across the Buller River.

At the time of the accident the helicopter had been ferrying two Post Office linemen from Murchison to Lyell to help with the restoration of services after the Inangahua earthquake. Mr Harvie said the incidence of power line accidents was far too heavy. There had been three since the Buller incident. He said it would be helpful, and not unduly prohibitive in cost, if certain sections of line could be provided with markers. These could take the form

of 20in diameter orange or yellow plastic spheres. Dark Vegetation

in the days preceding the Buller accident the pilot involved had made a number of trips over the same route and must have been aware of the power lines, Mr Harvie said.

On the day of the accident

the lines would have been viewed against a background of dark vegetation and would have been difficult to see under the conditions at the time.

Mr Harvie said there had been many cases of power line collision where the pilots had been fully aware of the presence of lines but had been forgetful.