DANGER SPOTS

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1931, Page 7

DANGER SPOTS

WHEN PILOTS FAIL. TOO CONFIDENT. i ■ Aviation is not inherently dangerous, but the air, to an even greater extent than the sea, “is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity, or neglect.” Captain A. G. Lamplugh, FiR.Ae.S., of the British Aviation Insurance Group, -one of the greatest authorities on flying accidents Jn the world, expressed this opinion in a .lecture to the Royal Aeronautical Society, says the Daily Telegraph. He gave some hitherto unpublished statistics of aviation accidents showing that in Great Britain, France, Germany, and the United States “errors of judgment” have since January, 1928, -been responsible for at least half the accidents. In the same period structural or mechanical breakdown causes have declined to about 20 per cent. Captain Lamplugh has worked out the danger periods in the pilot’s career. Among professionals it is in the early twenties. Between the ages of 30 and 40 the professional pilot’s expectation of life appears to be good as compared with any other , class of pilot. It is distressing to find the number of fatal and serious accidents to amateur pilots caused through over-confidence, inadequate training, carelessness, or deliberate foolhardiness. The danger periods are between 20 and 30 hours’ experience, between 80 and 120 hours, and between 500 and 600 hours. The last period is not easy to account for except on the assumption that the pilot has acquired a .reasonable degree of perfection, but has not yet learned that no amotmt of skill will avail against the elements in certain conditions. “Error of judgment” is a declining factor, but for the amateur class of pilot it declines very slowly,: and. this is due to. the great increase in the number ofinfexperienced private owners. Faulty navigation in the professional class is responsible 'for only 2.84 per cent, of - accidents, while.: in the amateur class it. accounts, for 11.37 per cent. : . '.. • ■ ■■■.• d.... Structural failure has been a.bigger, cause of accident Jo big aircraft abroad than-in Britain, but in all countries'fight aircraft have suffered more from this cause, especially when flown by amateur pilots, and no doubt unskilful handling and lack of skilful" inspection have been- chiefly responsible. Captain Lamplugh emphasised the need for skilled instruction. Among many uncommon causes of-acci-dents Captain Lamplugh mentioned the switching on of cabin lights at the moment of landing, the reflection on the windscreen blinding the pilot. . Another is abandonment of aircraft in parachute without sufficient reason, or "parachute consciousness.” Captain Lamplugh looks for improvement through higher training standard and careful selection of instructors and improvement in traffic control.