EVIDENCE OF WEATHER AT INQUIRY INTO AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT

Wanganui Chronicle, 8 May 1948, Page 5

EVIDENCE OF WEATHER AT INQUIRY INTO AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT

(P.A.) Palmerston N., May 8. Some unknown person interfered with the wreckage of tlie Lockheed Electra Kahu which crashed into tlu, sea off Tauranga foreshore on April 19 and in view of this he could not place confidence in the condition ot the plane at the time of the inspection, said the Inspector of Accidents to Air Department (Mr. Kean! in Evidence at the enquiry into the crash, at Palmerston North. “During my examination of the interior of the aircraft I made the rather disconcerting discovery that some person, prior to my entering the aircraft, had removed the metal cover from a certain fitting situated on the floor,” M:». Kean stated. "To remove this cover, it had been necessary to remove live or six metal screws. As the result of my conviction that there had been prior interference with the aircraft, I want to say now that I cannot place any reliance on anything I saw or might have seen had I prolonged the inspection," , To Mr. D. Vv. Virture, representing National Airways Corporation, witness said he visited tlie aircraft 22 hours after the crash. No steps had been taken by the .department to guard the machine overnight. He considered the obligation in this to rest on the owners. He did not think it likely that the impact of the aircraft in hitting the water would force the cover off or that the screws had been left out before the aircraft took off. Commander R. M. Harris, pilot of the aircraft, said he had not received a message from Mangere at 1440 hours regarding poor visibility, towering cumulus clouds and a general weather deterioration at Tauranga. Just after leaving Mangere he received a report ot the weather at Tauranga but the message was the same as received before the take-off. It did not contain all the information of the 1440 message. The information lie received was to the effect that thunderstorms were approaching Tauranga from the west and that there were light showers. When he was west of the Katikati entrance he advised Tauranga of his position and height, but he did not remember receiving a message from Tauranga stating there was ten-tenths cloud with a base of 300 to 500 feet .visibility half a mile, and torrential rain. He was advised that heavy showers were approaching from the west. He did not remember a message from Tauranga at 1514 hours, warning him of intense lightning seawards but he was advised to land well up the runway because there was flooding at the west end of the airport. The town of Tauranga was bathed in sunlight, and, as he had been warned that the showers were approaching from the west, he assumed they had passed over the town and the vicinity of the airfield. ’

Having received landing instructions and being able to see the field clearly, he lowered the undercarriage and began to descend. He was at 500 feet, not less than half a mile west of the foreshore when he noticed the weather deteriorating. He abandoned all intention of landing, raised the undercarriage, increased the power and commenced to turn to starboard. His height was still 500 feet and his airspeed 125 m.p.h. The weather to starboard was clear. He considered that he had completed about 60 degrees of the turn when light rain was encountered. He immediately went on to instruments. Moderate turbulence increased to violence and then the starboard wing dropped suddenly. The rate of descent became 1500 feet a minute. Immediately he applied full aileron and increased the power. The next thing he remembered was the starboard wing gentlystriking something. A second slight impact was felt and then the aircraft became covered with water. He cut the ignition switches and turned off the petrol. The aircraft came to rest on the foreshore. Visibility was practically nil and the rain and hail were falling heavily. He had never experienced any turbulence such as the plane had run into. The co-pilot of the machine, First Officer G. E. Booth, corroborated Commander Harris’ evidence, while in the rainstorm he noticed the sensitive altimeter registering 250 feet. He said he thought this to be from three to live seconds before the first impact. The aircraft was trimmed fore and aft as far as he could remember. A Tauranga message received west ot Katikati was "Showers approaching from the west. Altimeter setting 1500," and the next message stated "Cleared to land runway zero 7. Land well up runway owing to surface water on lower end. The flaps were not lowered on the run in. As faj as he knew there were no symptoms of a stall.

Mr. A. C. Gerrand, operations manager for the National Airways Corporation at Palmerston North, said he was convinced from evidence on the spot and from the crew that there were extremely abnormal weather conditions present at the time of the crash. Commander Harris had been classed above the average in a recent instrument flying test.

The finding of the board will be submitted to the Minister of Civil Aviation.