The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1921-08-18
US. AVIATION
DEATHS TRIPLE
The Actual Rate of Deaths
in Hours Flying Show
Big Increase.
MILLIONS TO REMEDIES

z Washington Aviation, as practised
in Uncle Sans army, navy and marine
corps, is causing steadily increasing
rate of fatalities.
In the army training camps, during
the period when hundreds of inexperi-
enced men were learning to fly, the
rate of fatalities was approximately
one to each 5000 hours of flying.
Within year after the armistice
this had increased to one fatality for
each 1900 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 ex-
perience in aircraft building and oper-
alton, in peace-time flying, under con-
ditions where it would seem the max
imum precautions are possible, why
should it be three times as dangerous
to fly today as it was to learn flying
in the rush of war preparation?
Aviation authorities, who have been
caused no little concern by the in
creased hazards of flying, have been
investigating.
No official conclusions have been
formulated, but their decision is that
no single general condition is respon-
sible.
Probably the greatest single factor
in accounting for the difference in the
deathrate at the flying fields during
Ixyo %r4aiT NO nd
operations is the sort of flying under
taken.
During the training period the simp-
lest type of plane is flown, according
to definite rules and under the eyes
of an instructor. The flying is done
from and about a large airdrome, 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 service are
blamed on faulty design or improper
construction. The mechanical stoppag-
es that figure in present-day airplane
accidents are, 9 times out of 10, it is
declared, due to one of two causes.
They are:
ONE. The gasoline feed system.
TWO. Ignition
In practice flying, near an airdrome,
these need not be disastrous. In SER
vice flying, however, emergency land
ings, forced by these causes, often
mean crash. And these crashes may
mean casualties.
Another source of danger to the
flier is the lack of efficient mechanic
al service in the force that overhauls
the machines.
An air-mail flier recently went to
his death in plane which had been
ordered out of commission the night
before, but which was left in the
hangar with nothing to indicate it had
been condemned.
There was a leakage of gasoline into
the drip-pan under the motor, and
crack in the exhaust manifold which
permitted hot sparks to shoot down in
to the leaking gas.
The aviator took the plane up. but
came down in flames.
Another case was where a mechanic
attempted to replace a carburetor
plug with makeshift piece of bolt.
There was leakage of gas and the
plane caught fire. The aviator tried
to slide-slip to put out the flames
and crashed in village. Either the
crash or the fire would have been
fatal.
Since the armistice was signed, Con-
gress has appropriated 35,613.000
for the army and navy air service. APP
proximately $2O,Ooo,OOO of this has
been for experimental and research
work in an effort to reduce the haz-
ards of the airman.
And while it is maintained that the