Evening star., 1947-06-16
Air Safety Problem

PreSldeQG humans SpeClal aI sd1ctJ
board is confronted with an exceptionally
complicated problem. The shocking sue
cession of multiple death air crashes
recently makes it starkly apparent that
governmental and private aeronautical
engineers have far to 60 in their efforts
to make commercial flying safer. Un-
doubtedly much progress has been made
toward the safety goal under the direction
of the Civil Aeronautics Administration,
the Civil Aeronautics Board, Army and
Navy experts and civil authorities. But
the tragedies continue-major tragedies
with heavy loss of life that are bound to
Jolt public confidence In civil aviation and
to have depressing effect on the indus
try as a whole.
The problem would be greatly Simplif1ed
II 1t were possible quickly and definitely to
determine the cause of such an accident
as the one Friday evening north OF Lees
burg But the destruction of plane and
its human cargo was so swift and COM
plete that little is available with which
investigators can reconstruct picture OF
conditions Immediately preceding the
catastrophe. When the pilot last reported
by radio, presumably about five minutes
before the plane crashed into 1,700-foot
Blue Ridge mountain, he was flying nor
mally at safe altitude through intermittent
rains, 1t Is stated During the next few
minutes, while still on course, the plane
dropped to about 1,500 feet-toe low to
clear the fog-hidden peak. Was the planes
altimeter faulty? Did a downdraft drag
the big ship to it's doom? 1t is hard to
believe that pilot so experienced as the
veteran flyer in charge of the ill-fated
Capital Arlner would have deliberately
descended dangerously low in an area he
knew to be mountainous unless some
unknown emergency developed after he
made his last radio report.
The questions which arise are not easily
determined. Indeed, they may never be
answered For the Virginia crash was
without witnesses-in contrast to the
Memorial week end accidents to other
DC4s at LaGuardia Field and near Balm
bridge, Md. And in the latter two crashes
testimony was so conflicting and incon-
elusive and material clues so few that
investigations were still continuing at the
time of the Blue Ridge crack-up. The
only common denominator of these three
crashes was the fact that the planes were
DC-4s, four -engined transport which
proved highly reliable in Army and Navy
service during the war. Otherwise the
crashes were dissimilar in nearly every
respect. The LaGuardia plane was trying
to take off and the accident in Maryland
occurred suddenly in good weather and in
a relatively fiat area.
Structural failure was indicated in the
Maryland crash. A mechanical defect in
the control system or change of wind
direction or both may have been respon-
sible for the New York tragedy What
the consensus of investigators in the
Virginia accident will be remains to be
seen. 1t Is obvious from these three
Inquiries, however, that there is no cure
all for aviation accidents. There cannot
be when factors so varying as possible
human error, structural failure and vagar-
les of the weather are involved Lessons
are being learned from each crash, how
ever, that help to reduce the likelihood of
accidents from any of these causes. It
is imperative that these safety studies be
carried forward relentlessly, whatever the
monetary cost. For, as the President points
out, the successful development of our
air transport system is "a matter of vital
concern to cur Nation"