Course Of Plane Before It Crashed

Northern Advocate, 18 May 1949, Page 5

Course Of Plane Before It Crashed

WELLINGTON, Wed. (P.A.).—A National Airways Corporation pilot, Commander A. M. F.> Alexander, who was on a scheduled flight from Nelson to Paraparaumu on March 18, today told the board of inquiry into the crash of the air liner Kereru that he had seen the Kereru in flight and had heard exchanges of radio messages between the Kereru and Paraparaumu control tower a few minutes before the Lodestar crashed into the hillside near the airfield. : . Alexander, who was the first witness called this morning, said that on his flight from Nelson in command of the Lodestar ZK-AOS he had reached the northern end of Kapiti when he saw a Lodestar to the east, heading east-south-east towards the hills.

That was between 8.40 a.rn. and 9.45 a.m., and witness was flying at from IOOOf to 1500 ft.

long extended left-hand circuit is order to lose height. He had no knowledge of an aircraft losing height on • right-hand circuit inland. He knew of aircraft losing height by parsing west of Kapiti. Asked whether h« thought the height of the aircraft at Otaki was an embarrassment to the pilot in charge, Greagor said the height was unusual and higher than ordinarily.

The weather was clear and he could see Paraparaumu and a bank of cloud from Paraparaumu to the north. The Lodestar he saw appeared to be above the cloud and flying at about 3000 ft. Alexander said he heard the aircraft call the Paraparaumu tower and give its position as five miles west of Otaki River mouth, and 3500 ft continuing VFR (visual flight rules). He heard Paraparaumu answer, giving landing instructions, but he was unable to say what the instructions were. ( Conditions were clear to the sea and suitable for visual flight rules flying. He considered the coastline would have been visible to an aircraft at 3500 ft five miles west of Otaki River mouth. VOICE RECOGNISED

The board adjourned until thin afternoon. ‘

Cross-examined by Mr C. A. L Treadwell for the Internal Affairs Department and relatives of two passengers, Alexander said he was flying in a south-easterly direction and had just iounded the end of Kapiti when he saw the Kereru which was then ahead of him.

He had definitely recbgnised the voice which gave the message from the Kereru as that of Commander Bartley. Two National Airways Corporation junior commanders, J. R. Layton and J. N. Campb' 11, who made flights on March 18, gave evidence of cloud formations along the coast between the Otaki River and Paraparaumu. Layton, who flew from Paraparumu at 9.43 for Whenuapal, said only the northern tip of Kapiti was visible.

The cloud base rose towards Paraparaumu until at the airfield it was 800 ft to 900 ft. It shelved again to the north to from 400 ft to 500 ft. .Further evidence on the weather at Paraparaumu on the morning of the accident was given by L S. Kerr, meteorological officer at Paraparaumu airfield, who said that at 9 amt there was six-eighths cloud at 900 ft with patches of cloud on the hills to the east; and on Kapiti, down to 500 ft. REPORTS DETAILED The clearance officer at the Air Traffic Control Centre, Wellington, H. W. H. Delamorc, detailed reports received from the Kereru and instructions passed to It during the flight between New Plymouth and the Paraparaumu area.

The aircraft, he said, was asked at 9.35 a.m. by the control centre whether it could proceed on visual flight rUIeS. , •. I .

Such an inquiry .was normal procedure with aircraft flying' between Wanganui .homer and Paraparaumu. The xeply received from the Kereru was negative. The aircraft reported at 9.36 that it was at 5000 ft and asked permission to descend to 3000 ft.

The reply said the aircraft might then be able to proceed on visual flight rules.

A clearance was given immediately to descend to 3000 ft.

At 9.42 the Kereru reported through the Paraparaumu tower that it was at 3000 ft, was clear of the controlled air route, and was proceeding on VFR. The plane was then handed oyer to the control of the Paraparaumu tower. At 10.5 the Paraparaumu tower advised the control centre that it had not heard from the Kereru since the landing instructions were passed and the tower was “becoming concerned." C. S. Greagor, Control Officer at Pa raparaumu, said cloud conditions on the morning of the accident were such as to make pilots exercise extreme caution.

Witness agreed that, if a pilot making a landing circuit under visual rules, encountered cloud, he could call up the aerodrome asking for fresh landing, instructions under instrument rules.

But Commander Bartley made no such request, nor had he requested authdrity to make a right-hand circuit. \ . The aircraft could have made a safe visual approach down the coast, Instead of doing this, it had entered cloud in high, hilly country. A pilot flying under visual rules should not enter heavy cloud. If he did so he. .committed a breach of the regulations. PROPER PROCEDURE The proper procedure for. a pilot striking an emergency such as heavy cloud would be to go on to the instrument flying rules. To Mr Virtue, witness' said it was quite common for an aircraft to come in on a right-hand circuit. To go on to instrument flying would take some time, but what • had happened to the Kereru had occurred In a matter of seconds.

The plane when it signalled at 9.42 was jt\st on the edge of the control Bight route, and to fly direct from that position in a westerly direction would have taken it into the control route.

Cross-examined by Commander R. D Daniell for the Air Line Pilots’ Association, witness said the normal procedure would have been to make a