AIR ACCIDENTS

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20886, 18 August 1939, Page 2

AIR ACCIDENTS

ERRORS OF JUDGMENT FIVE CAUSE DEATH OR INJURY I (By Telegraph.—special to Times) WELLINGTON, Thursday \ Five accidents which caused fatal j or serious injury to occupants of civil aircraft occurred in New Zealand during the year ended March 31, according to the annual report of GroupCaptain T. M. Wilkes, Controller of Civial Aviation. It states: “A further 36 accidents or forced landings occurred which also required notification under the Air Navi- : gation Regulations. 1033. making a j total of 41. Of this total 34 were i flying accidents.” An analysis shows that there was one fatal accident and four minor ones on regular air services; two minor accidents in connection with other flying for hire; three serious and It minor accidents in subsidised ; club flying: two fatal, four serious and four minor accidents in other club ! fl>ing; two minor accidents in private i flying and one serious one in exhibi- i tion flying. ‘‘Errors of judgment or faulty air- j manship on the part of Ihe pilot caused I 15 accidents, two of which resulted in j fatal consequences to the occupants," the report continues. "Engine failure accounted for one accident in which 1 the pilot and co-pilot lost their lives. Engine failure also accounted for 13 accidents, three of which were directly attributed to insufficient fuel for the journey. "Bad visibility was the cause of four forced landings away from an aerodrome. A further six aircraft, were damaged while in Hie hangar and 1 two more were slightly damaged while | on the ground.”