AVIATION

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 213, 23 August 1927, Page 5

AVIATION

SAFETY OF FLYERS U.S. GOVERNMENT TAKES PRECAUTIONS. DOLE COMPETITORS NOT YET FOUND. [By Cable —Press Assn. — Copyright.) (Received 23, 12.15 p.m.) Washington Aug. 22. The Government is taking steps to ensure the safety of flyers in the future by imposing strict rules regarding the fitness of motors, 'planes and radios. The death roll for ocean flights for the year totals nine, exclusive of the missing Dole flyers.—(A. and N.Z.) HOPE ABANDONED. San Francisco, Aug. 21. With 62 vessels searching tor the seven missing aviators and no trace found, hope lias virtually been abandoned. Public comment now openly condemns the race as an unwise venture. It is pointed out that all the efforts of the United States Department of Commerce to have the race delayed so that the entrants could better prepare their ’planes were unsuccessful, and its suggestion that the race be held over laud or that the ’planes should fly from Honolulu to California, thus having the entire Continent as the destination were refused. Newspaper leaders ask that aviation be put under control.—(A. and N.Z.) TASMAN FLIGHT. Sydney, Aug. 22. Mr. K. M. Frewin states that he hopes to fly from Brisbane this week en route to Hobart, whence he proposes to fly to Invercargill. He will use a Bristol Fighter aeroplane with a cruising speed of 90 miles an hour and a flying range of 1200 miles. JUGGLED WITH DEATH. MONOPLANE CRASHES. (Received 23. 2.5 p.m.) London, Aug. 22. Half an hour after leaving Croydon early this morning for Amsterdam, the Dutch Imperial Airways monoplane was lying in fragments in the park of a private house at Seven Oaks. It was the first of its kind, fitted with twin engines, and carrying a pilot, mechanic, and nine passengers, of whom seven were men and two women, two men and one woman being English. When at a height of 1000 feet, o avoid clouds and a violent wind which suddenly tore off the rudder and n vertical fin, the 'plane banked sharply to the right and as the Dutch pilot dramatically stated in his evidence at the inquest held later, his only hope was to keep from a spin He had no time to warn the passengers but juggled with death for 20 seconds, during which he managed to cut off the engine, lose a little sneed and flatten the machine out. There was no hope of a safe landing in the thick park and he managed to come to ground on the level instead of nose-diving, only because a small fin beneath the tail held on. Even as it was. the terrific speed of 120 miles an hour made it impossible to have any control over the 'plane, which struck a waterlogged patch of tho park-land, the trees saving it from worse disaster by checking its speed MIRACULOUS ESCAPE. According to eye-witnesses, th' wings were torn off and the engine shot through the cockpit, crushing nnd killing the Dutch mechanic; hut the amazing thing was that though the cabin was buried in earth and the whole 'plane a twisted wreck with netrol pouring into the cabin and likely to igmto at any minute, the pilot and the passengers were not seriously hurt.

Al| scrambled out of the windows and the crowd of rescuers were astonished at the coolness, especially of the women, who greeted them without signs of panic. A verdict of accidental death was returned.

Pilot Poininn said there was no structural defect apparent before staring. The passengers paid tribute to the consummate skill with which flic nilot accomplished the descent. The rudder was found half a mile away.—(A. and N.Z.)