Evening star., 1923-08-19
EXPERTS SEEK REASONS
FOR AVIATION CRASHES
Study Personal Element That Causes
Men to Lose Balance at Critical
Moments in Air.

ear and the sensation Of feeling are the
prime movers actuating this phenom
enOn.
During the world war student avia-
tors were subjected to balance tests az
part of their preliminary physical exam
ination. They were told to rise on theI
toes and rock back and forth on their
heels, to walk a chalk line across the
room and to stand on one foot. If they
faltered seriously in any of these re-
quIrements the examiners raised strong
doubt of the ability of the prospective
applicants to adapt themselves TO avia
ton.
Furthermore. they were often blind
folded and twirled around half
dozen times rapidly by assistants.
then, still blindfolded, told to walk
in the direction of the voice of the
examiner. Deviations We're noted
and if abnormal the applicants were
usually turned down.
These tests were merely prelimi
nary, however. When an applicant
had succeeded in surviving this or
deal he faced many more difficult
feats at ground school. He was
whirled over and over in many direr-
tions, to test his ability to restrain
dizziness and maintain his sense OF
balance. He was tried out in "A
socket support. against which rapidly
revolving propellers drove a hurri-
cane of manufactured wind. The
embryo pilot had to manipulate the,
controls so as to keep the "decoy'
on the level. In all of these ways
the men in training We're taught To
rectify weaknesses disclosed in their
sense of balance.
Plane Rarely Falls.
Yet experienced pilots at times ap-.
pear to have lost their equilibrium at
critical moments. often with fatal re-
OLD. lnH1r Fn.a~
of the air fatalities nowadays are
traceable to faulty mechanism. Tail,
spins. nose dives and similar familiar
actions which usually Immediately
precede crash are believed to re-
suit from lost balance" War De
that the airplane itself but rarely
fails.
The foregoing are some of the prob
lens with which the committee Is
quiring for their solution an accurate
analysis of the functions of equi
librium. The chairman of the COM
mittee is Prof. c. f. Seashore, dean Of
the graduate college. professor OF
psychology and head of the depart,
ment of philosophy and psychology
Of the University Of Iowa Certain
financial support has been given the
committee by the council.
The direction of the Investigations
/
special COMMITTEES. consisting of DR.
j. Gordon Wilson, professor OF
otology. Northwestern University.
chairman; DR.. Raymond Dodge, pro-
fesSor of psychology, Wesleyan Uni
versity; DR.. F. II. Pike, associate pro-
fessor of physiology, University or
Chicago, and the chairmen of the
councils divisions of anthropology
and psychology. and of biology and
agriculture. and of medical sciences.
Established in 1916.
The National Research Council was
established in 1916. at the request OF
the President of the United States.
under the charter of the National
Academy of Sciences. 1t is CO.
operative organization of the Scien-
tific men of America. including also 4
representation of men of affairs and
business men interested in industry
mental or pure" science on which
the applied" science used in these
industries depends. The council en-
! joys the formal recognition and active
CO operation Of most of the major
scientific and technical societies of the
country. its membership being COM
posed in large part of appointed rep
resentatives of these societies.
The councils essential purpose is
the promotion of research in the
physical and biological sciences and
the encouragement of the applicati
and dissemination of scientific knoWl-
edge for the benefit of the nation.
The council has its headquarters in
this city at 1701 Massachusetts ave
nue. northwest.