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Aviation History
1914
1914 - 0515.PDF
MAY 15, 1914. taken to procure from Governments the suppression, or, as an alternative, the reduction to an absolute minimum of the areas prohibited to Aerial Navigation, Being of opinion that it is an easy matter, with the collaboration and on the responsibility of the Sporting Authorities, to prohibit all photographic apparatus on aeroplanes, dirigibles or balloons, And taking into consideration the very annoying hindrance which the establishment of prohibited areas causes to the development of atrial navigation, which is equivalent as regards aeroplanes and dirigibles to imprisonment in a limited space and as regards spherical balloons, to a veritable sentence of death, it not being possible, in this case, to control direction, It was Resolved :— I-.. Tt?at the Governments investigate amongst themselves the possibility of suppressing or reducing the extent of the prohibited areas by limiting to absolute necessity the radius of the pro hibited areas round fortified places, which would immediately create a number of free passages, at any altitude. [/yGHTJ 2. As regards spherical balloons, that every civil pilot of spherical balloons approved by his National Sporting Authority, be authorised to fly over the prohibited areas at any altitude, and to alight within them in case of necessity. That there be issued for this purpose an international permit, valid for one year, granted at the request and on the responsibility of the National Sporting Authorities: As regards aeroplanes and dirigibles : — That the arrangements resulting from the Franco-German agreement (paragraph 11 Siction IV) be extended to all countries of the F.A.I., simplifying, as far as possible, administrative formalities. Re-olved : — That the Government of the French Republic be asked to cali together again the International Diplomatic Conference on Aerial Navigation, in order to regulate in a uniform manner all questions relating to Aerial Navigation. 166, Piccadilly, W. HAROLD E. l'ERRIN, Secretary. ACCIDENTS INVESTIGATION COMMITTEE OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB. REPORT REPORT ON THE FATAL ACCIDENT TO MR. GEORGE LANCELOT GIPPS, WHEN FLYING AS A PASSENGER WITH MR. FREDERICK WARREN MERRIAM AT LARKHILL, SALIS BURY PLAIN, ON MONDAY, JANUARY 26TH, 1914, AT ABOUT 4.45 P.M. Brief Description of the Accident.—Mr. Frederick Warren Merriam was flying a Bristol monoplane fitted with a 50 h. p. Gnome engine at Larkhill, Salisbury Plain, on Monday, January 26th, 1914, at about 4.45 p.m., with Mr. George Lancelot Gipps as a passenger for an instructional flight. The flight had lasted about five minutes, during which time a circuit had been made at a height of about 80 ft. In making a noticeably flat left-hand turn, the aircraft suddenly banked steeply and, making a quarter-turn, nose dived to the ground from a height of about 50 ft. The pilot, Mr. Merriam, was injured, but the passenger, Mr. Gipps, was killed. Mt. George Lancelot Gipps was granted his Aviator's Certificate No. 513, on June 13th, 1913, by the Royal Aero Club. Report.—The Committee sat on Monday, March 30th, 1914, and received the report of the Club's representative, who visited the scene of the accident within a short time of its occurrence. Evidence was also given by eye-witnesses of the accident and by Mr. F. W. Merriam, who was piloting the aircraft at the time of the accident. From the consideration of the evidence, the Committee regards the following facts as clearly established :— No. 20. 1. The aircraft was built in May, 1912, and completely recon structed in September, 1913. 2. The pilot and passenger were sitting side by side, and the flight was being made for instructional purposes. 3. The wind at the time of the accident was about 8 to 12 m.p.h. 4. The aircraft was fitted with a dual control giving equal power of control to both pilot and passenger, and without means of dis connecting the passenger's control. 5. Neither the pilot nor the passenger was strapped in, and they were not wearing helmets. 6. The aircraft was not fitted with an engine revolution indicator, air speed meter or banking indicator. 7. The pilot was under the impression that the pasenger was resisting his control. 8. The controls were found to be intact after the accident. Opinion.—The Committee is of opinion that the accident was due primarily to ruddering violently when the aircraft was unbanked, causing it to sideslip outwards, lose way and nose dive. The over- ruddering was due to the action of the passenger in first resisting the control of the pilot and then suddenly yielding. Recommendation.—The Committee recommends that in all dual controlled machines used for insiructional purposes, means should be provided whereby the instructor can instantly disconnect the pas*enger's control. ACCIDENTS INVESTIGATION COMMITTEE OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB. REPORT No. 21. REPORT ON THE FATAL ACCIDENT TO SERGT, ERIC NORMAN DEANE, R.F.C., WHEN FLYING AT THE BROOKLANDS AERODROME, WEYBRIDGE, ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8TH, 1914, AT ABOUT 7.30 A.M. Brief Description of the Accident.—Sergt. Eric Norman Deane was flying a Bristol Biplane (Pusher type), fitted with a 50 h.p. Gnome engine, at the Brooklands Aerodrome, Weybridge, on Wednesday, April 8th, 1914, at about 7.30 a.m., and was under going the test for his Aviator's Certificate. He had completed the two sets of figures of 8 and alightings in a satisfactory manner and was carrying out the altitude test at the time of the accident. At a height of about 1,000 ft., the pilot commenced a spiral descent at a very steep angle. After descending about 600 ft., and when about 400 ft. from the ground, the pilot fell out of the aircraft and was killed. Sergt. Eric Norman Deane was a pupil at the School of the British and Colonial Aeroplane Co., Ltd., at Brooklands. Report.—The Committee sat on Tuesday, April 28th, 1914, and received the report of the Club's representative who witnessed the accident. Eye-witnesses of the accident also attended before the Committee and gave evidence. From the consideration of the evidence, the Committee regards the following facts as clearly established :— I, The aircraft was built by the British and Colonial Aeroplane Co., Ltd., in November, 1913, and was of a type in which the pilot sits on the front edge of the lower plane with the engine and pro peller behind, and is quite unenclosed. 1. The wind at the time of the accident was about 5 miles per hour. 3. The control wires were found to be intact after the accident. 4. Sergt. Deane had been a pupil at the Bristol School for al>out six weeks, and during the latter part of the time had made many good flights. 5. The School instructor has stated that in his opinion Sergt. Deane was fully competent to pass the teats for his Aviator's Certificate. 6. The pilot was not strapped into his seat, nor was the aircraft fitted with a safety belt. 7. A spiral descent is not laid down as part of the tests for Aviators' Certificates. Opinion.—The Committee is of opinion that the accident was due primarily to the pilot forcing the aircraft down at too steep an angle, resulting in his falling forward on his control and accentu ating the steepness of the descent. Recommendation.—In view of the numerous instances which have come before the Committee in which the use of a safety belt might conceivably have either prevented the accident or mitigated the re.ults, the Committee strongly recommends that all aircraft be fitted for and with some form of quick-release safety belt in order that the pilot may avail himself of this safeguard should he wish to do so. In making this recommendation the Committee is fully alive to the objections that have been raised to the use of the safety belt. Double Fatality at Farnborough. IT is with the deepest regret that we have to record the catas trophe which occurred at Farnborough on Tuesday last and which cost the lives of Capt. E. V. Anderson and Air-Mechanic Carter. It appears that two Sopwith machines, both belonging to No. 5 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps, one piloted by Capt. Anderson and the other by Lieut. Wilson, who was accompanied by Air-Mechanic Carter, had been flying at various altitudes for over half an hour when the upper one started to dive at the same time as the other commenced to rise. They collided at a height of about 400 ft. and crashed to the ground on the Alder-hot Golf Links and close to Government House. Capt. Anderson and Air- Mechanic Carter were killed instantly, but Lieut. Wilson had a miraculous escape, and he managed to extricate himself from the wreck before anyone was able to reach the spot. On examination at the hospital it was found that he had sustained a fractured jaw and was severely bruised, but the latest reports state that he is out of danger. 515
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