“BLACK-OUT” THEORY

Taranaki Daily News, 22 July 1933, Page 14 (Supplement)

“BLACK-OUT” THEORY

AIRMEN AT INQUEST “LAPSE” DURING DIVE. COMMENT BY CORONER. London, May 4. “‘I do not think he does himself justice,” said the coroner, Dr. J. A. Gorsky, in commenting on remarkable evidence given by Flight-Lieutenant E. R. C. Hobson, at the inquest concerning the death of Viscout. Knekworth. Hobson, who was adjuant of the 601st Squadron Auxiliary Air Force, was leading a dive by machines in which Lord Knebworth was taking part when he was killed. When he gave evidence, Hobson began to read from a written statement. He declared:— “There was no intention of having a spectacular stunt. I carried out an exact rehearsal of the programme last Thursday and everything except the most minor details went perfectly correctly.” Describing the last dive, he said: “The aircraft came out of the dive, at 500 feet, a normal height for coming out. Lieutenant Knebworth was on my left in a V-shape formation. Somehow—l do not know why—we continued to lose height very fast. Almost before I knew where I was we were dangerously near the ground.” He explained that he was anxious not to pull out of the dive too suddenly. “NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.” The coroner: What would have happened if you did?—lf I pulled out too suddenly the aircraft following behind might have some difficulty in following my movement. “I pulled the control column right back,” said Flight-Lieut. Hobson. “I can give no satisfactory explanation of what happened. Such a thing has never happened to me before, and I could never have believed that it would happen.” The coroner: Were you thrown or jerked forward at all? Is there any explanation you can give? Flight-Lieut. Hobson’s voice , was shaken with grief when he replied: I can give no satisfactory explanation. There is such a thing as what is called blacking out in high-speed flying. It may have been possible that I was affected. I mention this not as an ex-

cuse, but as a possible explanation. Whatever was the reason for my error of judgment, it certainly was not carelessness or recklessness. Looking back on the last two days, I think it was due to over-anxiety. Lord Knebworth was in no conceivable way to blame. He was simply following me according to his orders, and would himself therefore not have had a good view of the ground. The whole programme was a perfectly straightforward bit of squadron training which would have been absolutely safe if it had not been for this unaccountable lapse on my part. I cannot find words with which to express my grief that I have been the cause of this suffering. The coroner: Do you think it was possible that, as a result of gently coming into this dive and then doing it suddenly owing to the fact that you were losing height or falling quickly, you were jerked forward?—l might have been, but it would have been very, very hurried. When you realised you were losing height, would it be your duty to look to your left or right to see what the rest of the flight or squadron was doing?— Not necessarily. Glancing to the left or right is, I think, a natural thing in leading to make quite sure that your wing pilots. are in position. They might, be in difficulties. It is not likely, but it is well to look and see. “BRAIN DOES NOT FUNCTION.” The comer: What do you mean by blacking out?—That, I believe, has been experienced in high-speed flying which has taken place. I think it is that your brain does not function 100 per cent, for a fraction of a second. I cannot account for what it is. The coroner, summing up, said:— “Flight Lieutenant Hobson gave his evidence extraordinarly well, and I think one must pay a tribute to him for the very generous way in which he takes the whole blame for the accident. I do not think he does himself justice. While there . are errors of judgment, there may be such things as acts of God, for which no human being can possibly be responsible. “You have heard that there is such a thing as blacking out, during which, for some reason or other, the mind temporarily becomes slightly blank. It may be only for a second or two. Those who have been flying realise that one or two seconds can be quite sufficient. “None of us will ever know exactly what did happen. I think, rather than to suggest that it was an error of judgment, it would be more generous to say that it was an act of God.”