AIR TUSSLE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17502, 26 February 1931, Page 7

AIR TUSSLE

AMAZING STORY PILOT 'RESENTS CONTROL <s> LONDON, Fli. 17. The most amazing story ever t old in connection with an air disaster was related in the Coroner’s Court to-day at Plymouth, at the inquest on the victims of the Iris flying-bunt crash on February 4, when nine lives were lost. j) was revealed that a tussle occurred for the controls, just before the crash occurred, between .Flight-Lieu-tenant Ely, the pilot-in-eharge. and a superior ' officer, Wing-Commander Tucker, who was piloting the machine under supervision. It was further revealed that a similar tussle had occurred previously between the same two officers, in consequence of which Tucker was ordered to abide by Ely’s instructions.

Several of the crew had been overheard expressing a reluctance to go up in the boat if Tucker went up. Flight-Lieutenant Ely gave his evidence in hospital on a couch, lie presented a pathetic figure, grey-haired, wearing a strained expression, and unable to hold the Testament in his hands. His arms were in splints.

He said that eight minutes before the crash Tucker, at his own request, took control when the boat was approaching the landing. “I made an effort to regain control. Tucker at lirst shook his head. When we were finally coining down I placed my hand lightly on the wheel, ready for an emergency. He knocked my hand off. When we were about 15 feet from the water, instinct told me that a crash was coining. Tucker, apparently, thought we were further from the water than we really were. He pushed the control forward to descend further before he flattened out. I immediately grabbed the control, and pulled the nose back. The boat rose, but it was too late."

Flight-Lieutenant Ely admitted that Tucker had landed several times safely, but he had no confidence in his ability to land. “ Wing-Commander Tucker had previously reprimanded me for taking control." The story of the previous incident was related by Squadron-Leader .Tones. Ely, he said, had twice shown unwillingness to take Tucker up. He had complained that Tucker had attempted to land out of the wind. When Ely attempted to rectify the error Tucker tried to knock his hands away. ‘‘Tucker complained to me of Ely’s attitude. I supported Ely, as the flying-boat’s first flying-officer.