R 101 Disaster

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 84, 18 March 1931, Page 5

R 101 Disaster

! FABRIC TORN IN STORM THE FINDINCoFTHE COURT - LONDON, March 17. 8101 met disaster owing to the fabric being torii in a storm, states the Daily Herald in an exclusive revelation of the conclusions of. the Court of In quiry, whose report is ir the printers’ hands and will be published within a few weeks. The Court will exonerate Lord Thomson and the Air Ministry from blame and show that Flight-Lieut. Irwin, Captain of the airship, dia everything in his power to avert the disaster. While absolute 'certainty concerning cause will never be reached, the disaster is attributable to loss of gas th'b front bags due to the storm, and a tear in the upper cover. Tho Court is believed to be satisfied that there was not defect in the structure. It is likely to state that there was lack of adequate preliminary tests, but the flight itself to India was meant as a test under tropical conditions. ■ ’ Flight-Lieut* Irwin has been vindicated on the ground that he managed to right the ship after a steep dive, and when be found the craft going into a second dive he did his utmost to avert disaster by shutting off each engine separately. .