AIR TRANSPORT ACCIDENTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 May 1945, Page 8

AIR TRANSPORT ACCIDENTS

CHARGES IN COMMONS.

LONDON, April 11. Serious charges against the R.A.F. Transport Command were macle during a debate in the House of Commons when it was alleged that after a Liberator pilo.t had been almost ordered to take off against his judgment the plane had crashed, killing between 16 and 19 people. Mr. F. G. Bowles, Socialist (Nuneaton), said a friend of his had flown to England from Algiers a week ago when the co-pilot was a “blonde from South Africa.” The Secretary for Air, Sir Archibald Sinclair, said he was sure that Mr. Bowles had been misinformed, as no women were employed as second pilots. Mr. Bowles: I did not say employed.. She was a girl friend from South Africa dressed up as an officer. Captain L. F. Plugge, Conservative (Chatham), said the accident figures were appalling. On the basis of passenger miles flown, private airlines in America from 1938 to 1943 had turned out one corpse for the Transport Command’s 80. Sir Archibald Sinclair said the R.A.F. was determined to reduce, and was reducing the rate of accideiits in the Transport Command. The number of passengers carried had doubled in the second half of last year, yet the accident rate was lower than when fewer aircraft were flying and fewer crews were employed. He added he was opposed to holding public inquiries into such accidents. Efforts to secure evidence without fear or favour would be deterred. A full investigation was being made into the accident to a Transport Command Libei-atbr in the Azores on March 14. in which 18 were killed.