AIR ACCIDENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23428, 18 August 1939, Page 13

AIR ACCIDENTS

CASES IN PAST YEAR ANALYSIS OF CAUSES REPORT TO PARLIAMENT [BY TELEORAPH SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Thursday Five accidents which caused fatal or serious injury to occupants of civil aircraft occurred in New Zealand during the year ended 011 March 31, according to the annual report of GroupCaptain 'J'. M. Wilkes, Controller of Civil Aviation, which formed part of the report on the Air Department presented to Parliament to-day. "A further 30 accidents or forced landings occurred which also required notification under the Air Navigation Regulations, 1933, making a total of 41 for the period under review," the report states. "Of this total 34 were flying accidents."

Ail analysis of the accidents shows that there was one fatal accident and four minor ones on regular air services; two minor accidents in connection with other flying for hire; three serious and 11 minor accidents in subsidised club flying; two fatal, four serious and four minor accidents in other club flying; two minor accidents in private flying and one serious one in exhibition flying. "Errors of judgment or faulty airmanship on the part of the pilot caused 15 accidents, two of which resulted in fatal consequences to the occupants," the report continues. "Engine failure accounted for one accident in which the pilot and co-pilot lost their lives. Engine failure also accounted for 13 accidents, three of which wore directly attributed to insufficient fuel for the journey.

"Bad visibility was the cause of four forced landings away from an aerodrome. A further six aircraft were damaged while in the hangar and two more were slightly damaged while on the ground."