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Aviation History
1912
1912 - 1225.PDF
THE WEMBLEY DISASTER. AT the inquest held at Wembley on Wednesday week to inquire into the fatalaccident to Lieut. Wilfred Parke and Mr. Arkell Hardwick on the 15th mst., the evidence did not throw much further light on the cause of the catastrophe, but some questions by the Coroner, Dr. Gordon Hogg, amongst other things brought forth testimony as to the stuff our Service flyers are made of. After the bodies of the unfortunate victims had been formally identified, the Coroner said he wished, on behalf of the jury, to express to the relatives their sincere sympathy. The Navy would mourn the loss of a promising officer, and the country would regret the loss of two fine sportsmen. Mr. Raymond Woods, who officially represented the Admiralty, expressed their lordships' sincere regret at the fatality, and added that the Admiralty realised that in a corps especially distinguished for its bravery and daring, there were none who surpassed Lieut. Parke in these qualities. The Clerk of the Wembley Parish Council, the Vicar of the parish (who acted as foreman of the jury), and Mr. Handley Page also, expressed their sympathy with the relatives. Mr. Fred. Osborne, of the Wembley Golf Club, who witnessed the fall, said, when he first saw the machine it was following the usual track from Hendon to Brooklands. It was high up and going along steadily. It was rocking a little, but nothing out of the way. There was a strong, gusty wind. The machine was continuing on its course, and then it seemed to turn almost at right angles to the left, and came towards him rather on his left front. Then the wind seemed to catch it, and it drifted until it was almost coming right at him. The engine was going all the time. It seemed to be planing down, and then it got over the trees on the crest, and it turned completely round, so that it was returning in a line parallel to its original direction. He gathered that it was going back to Hendon, but as it turned the tail seemed to come round. As the tail came round, the wind caught it, and turned it right round, and it fell to the ground at an awkward angle. The machine came nose down. He did not consider it was too windy for a flight. Had the aeroplane continued in the same direction the accident would not have happened. . Mr. Herbert Sharp, another eye-witness of the accident, said it seemed as if a gust of wind came along and caught the aeroplane, which seemed to dive to the earth. During the last 150 ft. of the fall he certainly did not think that the aviator had any control over the machine. The Coroner inquired whether individual lieutenants were allowed to experiment with any machine, and, at the suggestion of Mr Woods, Lieut. J. W. Seddon was called to answer the question. The Coroner : Can you tell the jury what liberty they have to try machines other than those recognised by the Navy ?—We have complete liberty to try machines if we are not on duty at the time. Any machine, freak or otherwise ?—Yes, sir. I suppose your men are very keen ?—\ es. Don't you think it is rather risky that men with the chance of promotion before them should have entire liberty to fly any machine which may come before them?-We look on the matter in this way. It is a very young science, and it is very hard to say what is a good machine and what is not a good one—what is not a sale one. It is a good thing to get experience of all kinds. Don't you think from the fact that the science is very young that the clanger is all the greater, and that some care should be taken in order to check keenness of this kind ? Lieutenant Seddon replied that it should be left to their discretion. Don't you think that such valuable lives as these should, to some extent, as far as flying is concerned, be safeguarded by rules as to the machine they should fly when off duty ?—It is so hard to say whether one machine is safer than another. You think it would be unwise to check them?—I would rather not answer. Mr. Woods : 1 take it in practical work no officer would fly in what was regarded a> a freak machine unless he was pretty confident of it ?—No. As a matter of fact, the danger arises not so much from the machine in which you are flying as from the weather. Lieut. Parke was running no more risk when flying in this machine in this weather than he would have been in any one of half-a-dozen other machines under such conditions. If there is any control to be exercised it should be exercised in regard to the weather conditions in which officers are permitted to ascend rather than with regard to the kinds of machine they use?— It is hard to say what the conditions are above, and you cannot judge by what they are down lielow. The Coroner said he did not think men of such keenness should be allowed to try any machine that came in their way without any restriction being laid down. Mr. Handley Page gave evidence as to the construction of the machine and the work it had accomplished. He had carefully gone over the ground since the accident to examine the contour of the place. The golf course was on the side of a hill, with a valley running at one side. On the side opposite the club house there were a couple of trees stretching to the ridge. From what he could gather, the machine passed over the trees at the top of the hill, and on the ridge it seemed to have negotiated the turn very successfully, though that was rather a difficult operation. The aviator apparently dived in turning, and attempted to go back to Hendon, or else to land—it was rathet difficult to foim an opinion as to which. He apparently met a very strong current, and witness believed that a second dive was caused because there was no air at the point at which the first dive should have ended. The Coroner : This is one of the inevitable risks which must occur to everyone?—Yes, if you are flying low. Have you lost confidence in the machine iluough anything which has occurred?—I do not think the aeroplane has the slightest thing to do with that. I examined carefully the whole structure of the machine, and nothing had given way. The medical evidence showed that Lieutenant Parke's death was instantaneous while Mr. Hardwick only survived for a few seconds. A verdict of accidental death was returned, and the jury added a rider to the effect that officers of the Royal Flying Corps should not be allowed to make experimental flights without the permission of the authorities. ® ® ® ® THE NEW 70-H.P. GNOME-BLERIOT " CANARD."-SWe view. 1217
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