Arizona republican., 1921-08-15
AVIATION DEATHS TRIPLE
 |IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE SINCE DATE OF ARMISTICE
By HARRY HUNT

WAHINGTON, Aug. 14.-Aviation, as practiced in Uncle Sam's army, navy and marine corps, is causing a steadily increasing rate of fatalities.
 In the army training camps, dur ing the period when hundreds of in experienced men were learning to fly, the rate of fatalities was approxi- mately one to each 5000 hours of flying.
 this had increased to one fatality for each 20o0 hours of flying. Today the rate of deaths from fly ing accidents approaches one for each 1000 hours of flying. Why? With three years greater experience in aircraft building and operation, in peace time flying, un- der conditions where it would seem the maximum precautions are pos sible, why should it be three times as dangerous to fly today as it was to learn flying in the rush of war preparation?
 l Aviation authorities, who have been caused no little concern by the increased hazards of flying, have been Investigating.
 No official conclusions have been formulated, but their decision is | liidt uO SlISic SeHcIdl COlQlllOU IS responsible
 Probably the greatest single factor in accounting for the difference in the death rate at the flying fields during war training and under pres ent flying operations is the sort of flying undertaken.
 During the training period the sim plest type of plane is flown, accord ing to definite rules and under the eyes of an instructor. The flying is done from and about large air drome, with large. level field for taking off and landing.
 Under service flying. not only are heavier and more complicated planes used. but the greater part of the fly ing is away from any prepared land ing field.
 | Practically none of the accidents now resulting fatally in the air ser vice are blamed on faulty design or improper construction. The me-
 chanical stoppages that figure in present day airplane accidents are g times out of 10, it is declared. due to one of two causes. They are:
 ONE The gasoline feed system.
 TWO. Ignition.
 drome. these need not be disastrous In service flying, however. emergency landings, forced by these causes often mean a crash. And these crashes may mean casualties.
 Another source of danger to the flier is the lack of efficient mechani-
 cal service in the force that over hauls the machines.
 An air-mail flier recently went to
 his death in a plane which had beer
 ordered out of commission the night
 before, but which was left in the han
 gar with nothing to indicate it had
 been condemned.
 There was a leakage of gasoline into the drip-pan under the motor and a crack in the exhaust manifold which permitted hot sparks to shoot down into the leaking gas. The aviator took the plane up, bui came down in flames. Another case was where a me chanic attempted to replace a carbu-
 retor plug with a makeshift piece O. bolt. There was a leakage of ga.
 and the plane caught fire. The aviator tried to slides slip tt
 put out the flames and crashed in { village. Either the crash or the fir, would have been fatal.
 Since the armistice was signed
 congress has appropriated $135,613,. 900 for the army and navy air service l Approximately 10000, 900 of this hai Q been for experimental and researcl 1 work in an effort to reduce the haz r ards Of the airman.
 And while it is maintained tha 0 theoretical safety has been secured il . the design of planes and motors. tn . actual rate of deaths, in hours 0 flying, increases.