TOLL OF THE AIR.

Evening Star, Issue 25994, 8 January 1947, Page 4

TOLL OF THE AIR.

Hardly a week passes at the present time that does not give the world the story of at least one major air crash, and the publicity is tending to create the impression that air travel is becoming increasingly hazardous. One effect of this has been seen in the cancellations and falling off of air bookings in the United States, where air line companies are almost as numerous as companies whose business lies in other forms of public transport. The number of air agencies operating in the United States is but a reflection of this air-minded age. Since the war civil aviation has reached fantastic proportions overseas, and in the Americas and in Europe planes are taking the air almost as frequently as buses are leaving their bases. This great development in flying has naturally increased the percentage of

accidents,, but if it were possible to obtain reliable comparative figures it would probably be found that tho death roll from air accidents is proportionately considerably less than in accidents befalling other modes of transportation. In substantiation of this contention it is worth noting that in 1939, when civil aviation was gaining the support which made the postwar emphasis inevitable, in a list of outstanding world disasters, eighteen air crashes resulted in the deaths of 126 persons. Against this record twenty-two major fires and explosions .killed at least 866 persons; eleven marine disasters were responsible for no fewer than 1,163 deaths; eleven natural disasters, including earthquakes. floods, and storms, resulted iu 45,484 deaths—and this total does not include any of the unestiniated thousands drowned in vast floods in 1 North China; sixteen railway smashes added another *426 to the list. Over and above these were, and are, everyday road accidents taking a neverending serious toll. When an aeroplane gets into difficulties jn the air, whether because of climatic conditions or mechanical defects, the outcome is nearly always disastrous, since counter action possible on land cannot be resorted to in the air. Air crashes are nearly always attended by a regrettable loss of life,, so that almost every one becomes a tragedy, which is not always so with other accidents. The magazine ' Flight ’ has said that man has not yet learnt'to fly properly and that he is merely taking bigger and bigger chances, but on that assumption it could be said that lie lias not yet learnt to drive properly. The fact remains that, considering the hundreds of planes now in the air, the number 'of miles flown, and the total passengers _ transported, the number of air accidents is not great. Their spectacular nature and death roll earn for them an unfavourable publicity, but for all that we do' not argue that there are not too many crashes. Even one crash is one too many, and the greatest of attention to ways and means of making air travel safer still, rather thap experiments in greater speeds, is not too much to expect if air crashes are to be reduced to their lowest possible point.