N.Z. AIR ACCIDENTS

Grey River Argus, 30 November 1943, Page 3

N.Z. AIR ACCIDENTS

NEGLECT BY TRAINEES

To Observe Safety Orders

[Per Press Association] WELLINGTON, Nov. 25. Steps taken to investigate .and prevent, as far as possible, aircraft accidents in New Zealand, were outlined in a statement by Hon. F. Jones. The Minister said that obviously the biggest factors in aircraft accidents were the number of hours flown, the number of flights made by day and night, and the number of pupil pilots, and aircraft involved in the Dominion’s training activities. The possibility of accidents in any given period would there depend very largely upon an increase or decrease of those activities. This, of course, did not provide an answer for those who might be feeling some concern about the preventability of accidents. People would want to know, firstly, if the aircraft were suitable for the work they were idorng; secondly, if .' 'the training methods and the nature of the flying operations were iliable to increase the risk of flying accidents; and, thirdly, whether there wa-s any possible neglect in respect of other safety factors. Repiymg to these points, the Minister said the training aircraft in New Zealand were the same as those used throughout the Empire air training plan, and the technical efficiency of the ground personnel and the standard of aircraft maintenance in the R.N.Z.A.F. were acknowledged to be the equal of those of any Empire country, and he could say quite definitely that .accidents due to mechanical or technical defects were most exceptional. The training methods were based on the accumulated experience of milions of hours of flying Expended, in the training of tens of thousands of pilots in Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. From this had been evolved regulations, procedures and. practices designed to enable the student-pilot to adjust himself readily to the new sensations of flying, .and to provide a strict pattern of behaviour to be followed. Nothing which human ingenuity could do to minimise actual flying risks had been left undone.

“We are therefore confronted with the unfortunate fact that, by far the most common cause of accidents is, and will probably remain, the failure of the personal, rather than the mechanical elements. The forms these errors take are largely identical —neglect of fundamental safety precautions. This includes deliberate disobedience of very strict orders issued in regard to low flying. In this, however, we must distinguish fundamental differences between the risks involved in the intensive training of men suited for combat duties, and the normal flying activities of peacetime. If it were possible to ensure that every pilot would adhere to the rules formulated from experience foi’ his safety, and to confrm to practices which have been taught to enable him to function properly under all conditions, as a normal pilot was expected to function, flying accidents would practically cease. However, we naturally are dealing with men of a venturesome nature, and it is not easy to practise to achieve this ideal. The action taken by the R.N.Z.A.F. for breaches of flying- discipline is severe, but it unfortunately often occurs that a more severe penalty has been paid by the pilot.”

Mr Jones said that it would thus be realised that the apparent variation in the number of casualties recorded was due, primarily, to an increase in flying training operations following the continued expansion of the R.N.Z.A.F. He emphasised that they did not accept this as something which was inevitable. The efforts made by the R.N.Z.A.F. to prevent accidents were both painstaking and continuous. In addition to the Court of Inquiry, there was within the R.N.Z.A.F. an organisation concerned solely with the investigation of accidents. When its recommendations indicated that the possibility of an accident of a similar nature could be reduced in future by a change in training technique or flving control, or by some modification to aircraft, the necessary changes were effected. Concluding, Mr Jones said that complete records of all aircraft accidents were maintained, and every accident was systematically analysed. "No accident, however, minor, is viewed with complacency, and however low our accident rate may be brought, those concerned With the problem will not be satisfied until it is further reduced.”