AIR ACCIDENTS

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 10, 7 October 1936, Page 11

AIR ACCIDENTS

An American Analysis Although commercial air lines reported 42 accidents and 35 deaths during the first six months of 1936, which compared with 29 accidents and nine deaths in the corresponding period of 1935, the Bureau of Air Commerce at Washington stated recently that the lines flew 6,704,615 miles a fatal accident and 798,168 miles for every mishap. Only five of the crashes resulted in fatalities to passengers, but in each case the death list was greater than past accidents of the same character. Included in the 1936 deaths by accidents to scheduled plane-carriers were four pilots, two co-pilots, two members of plane crews and 27 passengers. The most serious misjtap was the crash of a plane in Pennsylvania last April, in which all except two of the 14 persons on board were killed. Errors by employees of the air lines caused 41.07 per cent, of the accidents, the report said, while aeroplane or structural failures were blamed for 23.81 per cent. Weather, motor failure and landing conditions were responsible for the remainder.