The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-11-19

lne fee . landing watA . eoe-toSa New York, Nov. le-SNEAD-- slnce Ban, | of this year 6ss per- sons have lost their lives in @ re~ ported crashes of large passenger caxsyine planes throughout the world, Of these, a1e died tn as Accidents involving U. s. transports or planes operating mo this coon~ tgy from abroad.
 In September alone there were nine spectacular fatal cra&hek plus the wrecking of An American plane at Rlneanna airport Ere. in which nobody was killed. Ignoring prsr- ate. small commercial and combat 4voe planes, the months death coAl was leo persons.
 October started oE win the greatest cir tragedy in American history. al Stephenville, N F. where ss died. and went on Into several other wen~puolicized acci- dents.
 Travellers Frightened
 The years accident soll, rising to e shriil crescendo this Autumn, has frightened many potential air travellers. Lsylnen have begun eo wonder whether airlines were eet- ting careless, whether equipment and personnel were dete11oratine, whether speed and maintenance oi schedules were bing put ahead ot safety. Airline officials admit, on the record. that demands for space are being affected.
 The record. viewed as above. IS frightful one. It is even more terrifying if the recent soa is set forth in chronogical order: Sept 3, Copenhagen. 2i Killed; Sept. q Paris, 90 killed; Sept. s, Elco, Nee, 2i Killed: Sept. 6. Cuba. killed; Sept. z, North Africa, 9 killed; Sept. IS, Saskatchewan, a Killed; Sept. IS, Gander. g killed; Sept. a. the Rineanna accident: Sept 25. H0ngkong. is killed: Sept. 27. Brazil, 2s killed: Oct 8, stephen vile, 90 killed; Oct. 6. Penang. 2i killed: Oct. 6. Cheyenne, 3 killed; Oct. 10. Morocco. I6 killed: Oct. l1. Laramie, Wyo.. ls killed.
 Fortunately the overall picture is more encouraging. CA statistscs show that in le&s, up to Oct IS. one person was killed for every a. e8s million passenger miles flown by U. s. lines tn this country. This year, up to the same date. only one was killed for every ass passenger miles flown.
 The chance of your being killed flying ia a scheduled commercial air liner this year was little more than hall as great, ia spite of the series Of recent accidents. as 1i would have been last year.
 Panty Equipment Responsible.
 Fortunately the overall picture is more encouraging. CA statis- tics show that in le45. up to Oct IS. one person was killed for every 26S6 million passenger miles 1own by U. 6. lines in this country. This year, up to the same date. only one was killed for every &.sss passenger miles flown.
 The chance of your being killed lnying in a scheduled commercial air liner this year was httle more than half as great, in spite of the series of recent accidents, as l would have been last year.
 It is impossible. from the outside so determine the causes cf many O. the air accidents that make head. lines. Some unquestionably wers due to faulty equipment. Such wal the Eastern plane that burst insS flame above Cheshire, Conn. ir January, and killed i6. Such wa the VIVA plane that caught fire killed five in its crew, and caused all C0nSte ellatl0nS 10 oe grounded until safety modihcatsons could D. made.
 But check of the most recent hal dozen major accidents that hayl attracted attention in this countgg leads to the conclusion that ever one was due, 10 a considerable ex, tent. to cockpit failue-to an errol on the part of pilot or co-pilot.
 The SabenR pilot whose crash q Gander cost 27 lives was suppoees by regulations 10 cross the rad1l range ct 1900 feet, drop to 0es fee over the field (which would be co feet above ground leEeD and, fl hl did not contact the field within one minute 2e seconds after tn radio range lat i3o miles an hour to climb at once 10 5000 feet, eta. there ct least 80 miles. and eithe make another approach or ee clearance to an alternate field, a other lines were doing that night The location of the wreck convincel veteran pilots Ello were at Oande that he did not do this, but wa sttl letting d0wn when he crashed far beyond the field.
 FzAo4s Express Do9bt
 The Pan-Ameriean co-pil0t Q Rineanna reached for the wing flal control lever and, instead, pullel the main landing gear lever, glhicl let the plane down onto its faselaR at a taxing speed variOnSly giye' as from 3b to 60 miles an h0us Pilots say that the wing flap leye on a Dc-s and the landing gea lever on a Constellation gre ab0u in the same place.
 Pilots express doubt whether fully loaded DC-A could possibl AAmMmma Ammm mmwM