The Washington times., 1933-04-12
WILEY RETURNS
To STAND IN
"MW " sra .
" a..
-
NAVYPROBE
Comdr. CoChrane Says Navy
Intended to Reinforce Some
OF the Airship's Frames

LAKEHURsT, N. j., April IL
UN.S0-PlanS for making re-
pairs on the Akron had already
been drawn up at the time the
dirigihle sailed from Lakehurst on
her voyage the night Of April g.,
which ended In crash at sea
with q loss Of 70 lives.
This was revealed today at the
naval court Of inquiry when Lieut..
Comdr. Edwin F. Cochrane, as
sembly and repair officer at Lake.
hurst, home port Of the Akron,
took the witness stand.
Safe to Fly
Il was planned, he testified, to
reinforce intermediate frames in
bays S, 6 and 7. These frames,
he explained, run around the in
terror Of the ship at right angles
to the longitudinal girders.
'"Was it perfectly safe to fly
without these alterations?
Cochrane was asked this by
Lieut.. Comdr. Herbert v. Wiley,
one Of the three survivors, who
himself had previously testified.
eyes SIR
The alterations, Cochrane said,
were directed by the Bureau Of
Aeronautics in accordance with
q plan given by the Goodyear
Zeppelin Corporation.
Materials Had Arrived
The material had arrived at
Lakehurst in February and de-
tails of the proposed alterations
had been worked out.
Cochrane expressed the opin-
ion that the Akron was "struc-
turally" in good condition on her
last flight.
Peter w. Ward, chief inspector
Of the assembly and repair de-
partment at Lakehurst, was on
the stand telling of previous re-
pairs made on the Akron when
luncheon recess was taken.
Wiley said he still was Of the
opinion that a descending verti-
cal current of air" caused the ship
to drop the second and last time.
Doesn't Blame Rain
But, Wiley conceded, there
might have been other contribut-
ing factors which he named as
follows:
- /. The ship might have been
put in a "stall."
2. Jammed elevator may have
taken control.
3. Damaged StabilizerS.
4. Breaking Of the structure
Of the ship.
S. Loss of buoyancy from lift
ing gas by the pulling Of a gas
valve control wire.
r. Wiley did not think that a
heavy rain load was an import
ant factor. He said:
'I do not think the rain was
heavy enough to cause an emer-
-gency."
Seven Were Guests
Wiley testified that the seven
guest officers killed when the
Akron crashed were aboard "by
proper authority" The seven in
cluded Rear Admiral william A.
Moffett, chief of the Naval Blu
reau Of Aeronautics, and Lieut..
Col. A. F. Masury, U. s. A. Re-
serve, of New York, whose bodies
have been recovered.
MaSury received permission for
the flight from the Navy Depart
ment in washington last Decem-
Der %.
Another guest passenger,
Comdr. Harry B. Cecil, Of Knox
vile, Tenn, "had previously indi-
Gated he would like to go up"
Three young lieutenants aboard,
but not members Of the crew
were there for training purposes.
Wiley was excused from the
stand, and thanked by the naval
court.
From o structural standpoint
I believe the ship was i'm good
condition"
Alterations Planned
Cochrane testified that plans
had been made to make altera-
tions on the Akron. It was in
tended to reinforce certain inter-
mediate longitudinalS and frames
in bays 5, 6 and Z. These alter
ations had been directed by the
Bureau Of Aeronautics as per a
plan given by the Goodyear-Zep
pelin Corporation.
The material, he said, had ar
rived here in February. Details
Of the alterations had been work
ed out. He said:
''In general, this was to be an
addition Of certain girder mat
teriaI along the intermediate
frames"
The witness did no know why
the Bureau Of Aeronautics had
ordered the repairs.
Flying Was o. K.
Lieutenant Commander Wiley,
sitting at table near by, wanted
to ask a question. He did:
twas it perfectly safe for the
Akron to fly without these al
teratiOns?"
Eyes, SIR"
The next witness was Peter w.
Ward, chief inspector Of the as
sembly and repair department at
LakehurSt. "
He was asked to tell Of any ma
jor structural defects found on
the Akron and whether they were
repaired. ,- -..