The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1943-06-03
Says Rate
OF Deaths
Is Small

During the next IL months Army
Air Force pilots and student pilots
are expected TO fly more than four
j billion miles, or nearly double The
1912 mileage, Major General Dav-
! export Johnson, commanding gen
eral of the Second Air Force, Great
Falls, said today.
And good portion of that ire
mendous mileage will be flown by
men of the Second Air Force, which
is responsible for the training of all
heavy bombardment crews in the
| United States he said.
Pointing out that while air
crashes do and will occur, General
Johnson emphasized the vigorous
safety program which is being car
ried out. He quoted figures to show
that $4,000 persons were killed in
/ bathtub accidents in 1899 more
than Is times as many as were ia
tally injured in military aircraft
accidents in 1912.
In spite of the vast mileage now
being flown, and with flight train
ing conditions constantly improving,
the number of flyers who will suf-
fer personal injury of any kind due
to airplane accidents this year will
be exceedingly small,' General
johnson said. This is not theory.
but is based on past experience
/ During the year 1912 military
aviation experienced only one fatal
accident for every l,750,000 miles
flown. In comparison with the rate
of fatal accidents in other forms
of travel, military aircraft is the
safest mode of transportation in
continental United States today.
General Johnson said the army's |
Flight Control Command is taking
every possible action to reduce the |
present number of accidents and
prevent mishaps in the future.
Flight control officers direct air
craft in point-to-point flights and I
supervise the search for and rescue /
of aircraft and personnel in distress
on land or water
Flying safety officers investigate
every accident discover the causes /
wherever possible and suggest cures
IN addition to determining whether /
safety measures are adequate and /
safety regulations observed.
In addition, safety education Of
ficers have the job of selling" safe
ty, with an educational program
directed at Army Air Force fly
ers, crew members and every man
in the ground crews.
Obviously, it is a physical i'm
possibility to eliminate accidents
entirely, but with information gath
cred from the crashes that do occur.
the Flight Control Command is able
to chart a course of action that is
steadily reducing the accident
rate, General Johnson said.
All flying accidents are report
cd Immediately to the Regional
Safety Officer who sees that pic
lures are taken, diagrams made.
witnesses interviewed and pieces Of
Wreckage recovered. The evidence
gathered is then sent through the
various offices Of the Flight Con-
troll Command and each office en-
tiers into the records the facts with
which it is concerned.
Once an analysis is made, the
Flight Control Command attacks |
the problem Of reducing or pre-
venting future mishaps."
The flying safety program is be-
ing carried on in every part of the
Second Air Force and the young
men who fly the -motored
bombers are being groomed with
single thought in mind to
get pilots, crews and bombers to the
combat area to carry the war to
the enemy.
How successfully this program
Is being carried out is revealed bv
the daily headlines from overseas
the General concluded. And we
have just begun to fight {. :,