WAR-TIME INCIDENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26841, 4 August 1948, Page 5

WAR-TIME INCIDENT

PRIORITY FLIGHT HELD UP INTERVENTION BY PRIME MINISTER P.A. WELLINGTON, Aug. 3. During the debate on the Civil Aviation Bill in the House of Representatives to-night, the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, in answer to Opposition attacks of interference with the control of civil aviation, said the only example of interference of which he knew arose from a war-time incident, and he took full responsibility for it.

When an aircraft on the Tasman service made a forced landing on Lord Howe Island, two ground engineers were suspended pending an investigation. Then the chief engineer of the Trans-Tasman service refused to issue a certificate for another machine which was ready to depart from Auckland with 17 war-time priority passengers for Australia. Mr Fraser said the chief engineer of the service contended that it was the job of the men who had been suspended to certify the planes as airworthy and as their suspension had not been revoked he would not sign the certificate in their stead. - The acting director of Civil Aviation thereupon said the plane could not undertake the trip although am engineer of the department did certify that the plane was safe to take the air. A director of the company discussed the matter with the acting director of Civil Aviation telling the latter that if he maintained his refusal to let the plane go unless the documents were properly completed by the companys own engineer the matter would be taken up with the Prime Minister—a statement which the acting director apparently regarded as a threat.

Mr Fraser said when the matter -was referred to him he at once took the attitude that provided the safety of the passengers was assured the regulations would be waived for once and the plane then left for Sydney. In similar circumstances of war-time passengers being held up by what amounted to a sit-down strike he would take the same action again. Such a trip could not be delayed indefinitely because people sulked with one another. This was, however, the only case in his knowledge, said Mr Fraser, of any interference with the departmental control of civil aviation. If proof could be given of improper interference by anyone endangering the lives of passengers then he would say chat the culpable persons should be dealt with.