AIR CRASH INQUIRIES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19337, 29 May 1937, Page 8

AIR CRASH INQUIRIES

OTAGO AND WESTLAND REPORTS BY INSPECTOR (Por Press Assoeintion.) WELLINGTON, last night. Reporting on the accident. U> the Otago Aero Club's 'plane, which crashed near Taieri aerodrome on March 23, the pilot being killed, the inspector of air accidents states that he reached the conclusion that no structural failure of the aircraft or defect in its control mechanism had occurred during the flight. He considers that the cause of the accident cannot, definitely be determined, but that the evidence suggests, as the most likely cause, that, in 1 the course of .spinning manoeuvres', in which he was engaged, the pilot, through an error of .judgment or temporary dizzfness, permitted tho aircraft; to dive ami reached a speed- at which it was impossible to regain control in the height available.

In the case whore the West Coast, United Aero Club's Moth plane which crashed into tlie sea near Greymouth aerodrome on April 11, the inspector arrived at the following conclusions: (a) That the aircraft was in nn airworthy condition prior to and during the flight; (b) that the misuse of the rudder control during a steep turn resulted in the machine going into a dive at too low a height in which to regain control; (c) thai the pilot, in executing steep turns at such a low height, was taking unnecessary risks; amid (d) that the accident must be attributed solely to poor technique on the part of ihe pilot, in matters of airmanship. In the case of future major accidents' it has been decided that a board of inquiry consisting of a chairman and two technical assessors will take evidence and submit its* findings to the Minister of Defence;