Lines ‘on pilot’s map’

Press, 18 December 1985, Page 3

Lines ‘on pilot’s map’

PA Wellington The power lines that an R.N.Z.A.F. Strikemaster crashed into in North Canterbury in July were marked on the pilot’s route map, a general court-mar-tial was told at Ohakea yesterday. Pilot Officer Peter Alan Lindsay, the pilot of the crashed aircraft, is charged with negligently causing an aircraft to be lost and alternatively with doing an act likely to prejudice Service discipline. He pleaded not guilty. Pilot Officer P. W. Wilson, leader of the sortie of which Pilot Officer Lindsay was a part, told the Court he had marked the location of the wires on the map. Pilot Officer Wilson said

he had also marked the location of his parents’ home on the map. He said he had marked the location of the wires because he said he was aware of the difficulty of actually seeing them and because, in the past, an agricultural aircraft had crashed into them.

Earlier, the prosecuting officer, Squadron Leader J. S. Bates, said that the threeaircraft sortie of which Pilot Officer Lindsay was a part was on a rendezvous navigation sortie to practise low flying. Flight Lieutenant C. C. Lee, the operations flight commander of No. 14 Squadron of which Pilot Officer Lindsay was a member when the crash oc-

curred, said that the primary task of a pilot when low-level flying was to avoid hitting any obstacle. He said that given Pilot Officer Lindsay’s experience he was probably navigating more than looking out. As pilots became more experienced, the situation would probably be reversed. In answer to a question by the defending officer, Squadron Leader C. M. Rippey, Flight Lieutenant Lee said, “Unfortunately young guys don’t always see what is the highest priority.” A pilot of Pilot Officer Lindsay’s experience would tend to make checks to the detriment of flying the aircraft, he said. (Proceeding)