Evening star., 1936-04-05

- so @ASo4 ago OA4 Vic SO44441C1SC AC-
blamed for II absolutely, and ! am
getting reactions from it all the time.
Now. it seems to me that the depart
ment certainly owes it to itself. If that
testimony Is not true, to come out In
rebuttal."
Have Asked to Appear.
I'VE have asked to appear daily"
Vidal replied. They have not been
able to hear us yet. But. for your
own information, the beam was on
course that night. The lights did not
enter into the cause Of the accident
in any way whatsoever"
What about your radio equip
ment?" Mrs. Kahn asked. "It Is
claimed that it should have picked up
within miles, and it did not"
There is a very small marker at
Kirksville that carries only a few
miles," Vidal replied. THAT has been
known to the company for as long
as the company has been there, and
it was known to the pilot that 1t only
carried few miles perpendicular to
the course.
you probably heard" he continued,
"that the beam was cut of at the time
the pilot was attempting to land. All
stations throughout the country cut
of the radio at regular periods to
broadcast the weather; because 1t Is
not just the pilot that needs the beam
at that particular time, but maybe the
pilot a little farther out needs the
weather information"
Vidal told the House body that he Is
sure that when the bureau is heard
the Senate subcommittee will be con-
vinced that the Federal aids were func-
tioning properly" at the time of the
Cutting crash.
Col. John M. johnson, assistant Sec
retary Of Commerce, then told the
House committee: May I say that
Senator Copeland chairman of the
Senate subcommittee) has not yet
called Air Commerce, and they are 60
ing to testify and rebut every item Of
testimony that has been offered? They
have not yet been put on the stand"
Barking Up Wrong Tree"
There is a strong feeling among
aviation people that in seeking to pin
the blame for aircraft accidents on the
Federal aids to air navigation, the
Senate subcommittee and its investi.
gators are barking up the wrong tree"
Testimony Of witnesses in air trans
port accidents this year has failed to
indicate that. with one possible ex-
ception, the Federal aids have entered
in any way into the accidents. The
only accident in which there has been
any suggestion that failure Of Federal
aids may have had direct connection
was the crash in which Senator Cut
ting was killed. In view Of testimony
that company officials and pilots had
full knowledge of the condition Of the
aids, however, 1t is suggested that in
operating through bad weather under
conditions which overtaxed the airway
facilities. the company itself had in
CURED responsibility. The company
was convicted of violation Of several
Department Of Commerce regulations
dealing with bad-weather flying and
fined.
1t has been pointed out that there
are physical limitations to the useful
ness of aids to air navigation Just as
there are limitations to aids to marine
navigation. In heavy fogs, marine
lighthouses are obScured and any sea
captain who persists in steaming
= hi rS=l-
and no blame can be attached to the
lighthouse keeper if the ship goes
aground.
1t is the same with the airway aids.
Radio range beacons have definite
physical Limitations. They are subject
to such natural phenomena as the
so-called split courses" and SWING
ing" Science has not yet been able
to overcome these failures Of accurate
radio service. Airline officials and
pilots know of these limitations and
Department Of Commerce regulations
forbid them to operate under weather
conditions which make 1t necessary
for them to place their whole reliance
upon ranges which are subject to such
variations.
If pilots persist in going into such
bad weather that their only hope for
safety lies in implicit reliance upon
aids which are subject to variations
which no man now can control, they
are just as much responsible as the
steamship captain who steams through
the fog in the hope that he may see q
lighthouse before his ship piles up on
the rocks.
Flying Events Planned.
Following its recent annual meeting
and election Of officers, the Washing
ton Air Derby Association is entering
into an active program which will
include two flying events each month
for the remainder Of the year. The
club house at College Park Airport,
College Park, Md, is to be completed
within the next 10 days in preparation
for the Spring and Summer season.
Chester H. Warrington, active organ.
izer and first president Of the asso.
citation, has been reelected president,
succeeding Harrison Buddy" Somer-
vile, head of the association during
the past year. Warrington also In
president of the Aero Club Of WASH
ington and national president Of the
Sportsman Pilots Association.
Other newly elected officers OF the
association are: j. e. Steinhauer and
e. H. Young, vice presidents; Clarence
Bruce, secretary, and the retiring
president, Mr.. Somerville, treasurer.