The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1918-07-05

running an automobile y Tor the sAiH,H -
40 FAR as the machine and his control OF u anu
~. n,.di,m ,hroueh which or upon which he
moves ARE concerned. But the unrellnbilV OF
the human mechanism must stu be reckoheu
with. and that unrcllability seems TO be greater
IN the air than Il Il upon the ground u some
times results In strange aud unexpected hhppeh'
ings.
once in n while A man in the best Of health
and the pink OF condition. who has passed with
high success every one OF the severe tests 10
which aviation candidates are subjected VINO mas
never falnted before In his life, VIII faint while
he IL In the mir. One recent fatal accident att
Texas field Is supposed TO have been due to that
cnuae.
One pilot tainted and the plane fell 20 the
earth. but neither he nor the student with him
was hurt except for a few scratches ANA cuts
lie said that he did not know why he fainted
All that he knew was that he suddenly lost con-
sclousness. and did not regain Il until he was
being hauled out OF the wrecked ~airplane. He
had never tainted before In his life.
Neither had another young fellow. TO whom
everything suddenly became "A blnna as his ma
chine was sailing away through the blue. Il was
still sailing along easily when presently he came
10 himself again with the feeling that something
had happened 10 him. Looking down, he could
see that he had covered n considerable distance
since the moment when he had lost consciousness.
Tie does not know why he tainted any more than
he knows why he did not spin downward 10 prob
able death during those blank moments.
A British surgeon attached to tho relay naval
air service, Dr. II. Greene Anderson. who has had
extensive experience at British flying stations,
has recently written some interesting conclusions
concerning these somewhat obscure causes OF
airplane accidents at training schools.
In the opinion OF Doctor Anderson. based upon
study and comparison OF the statements made 20
him In such cases by a hundred student flyers,
there IL a brain fatigue not due to previous mem
NUI mr. UhWaIaal aNEuNn that ma 80 ana aaEl.Na
accidents. He thinks Il Is induced by the Impact
81 overwhelming sensations upon the mind Of
the pupil after he Is In the air. The flying pupil
who Is overcome by this form OF fatigue. says
Doctor Anderson, reaches the stage where he
has the power neither 90 reason. decide, nor act.
A state OF mental Inertia superyenes. This Is due
TO repeated stimuli received by his brain IN mpld
succession In his flight. He feels alone; a sue.
cesslon Of errors occurs In the air; he feels he
cannot manage TO control the alrplnne; fear does
not seize him, but the enomity OF the whole
thing appalls him he feels helpless, and n -tntc
OF brain fatigue occurs In which he. In a stupor.
awaits events and takes little part In the air
planes control"
This form OF brain fatigue would seem 10 be
largely n result OF personal temperament. Doctor
Anderson thinks Il responsible for "a fair pro-
portion OF accidents" among students In the early
stages OF dying, and he adds that student avia.
tors who have suffered from Il. II they escnpe
injury, are likely TO give up flying.
There are many. many OF the unimportant ac-
cidents. OF which nobody takes heed. But OF
fatal accidents, Notwithstanding the concern over
them manifest In some parts OF the country, the
percentage Is no greater than should be expected.
Is less than In the flying schools OF some other
countries, and Is not higher than Il Is I'm almost
any extrn-hhznrdous occupation. And when II IL
remembered that this latter comparison brings
together figures representing men In the training
stage with those OF skilled workers. Il Is evident
both that flying Is a safer game than IL has the
credit OF being. and that II will be a good plan
Tor me country to guard against hysteria over
the fatalities that do occur.