FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1925
1925 - 0074.PDF
FEBRUARY 5, 1925 CROYDON DISASTER INQUIRY THE third day of the public inquiry into the Croydon air disaster was resumed on January 27, at the Law Courts, before an independent chairman (Sir Arthur Colefax) and two assessors (Prof. B. M. Jones and Mr. J. Swinburne, F.R.S., M.Inst.E.). Evidence was first given by Mr. Spencer, repre- senting the makers of the Tell Chart engine revolution counter, who said he examined the records of the engine from December 18 up to the morning of the accident, and that the chart corresponding to the flight from Amsterdam to Ostend, on December 23, was the best he had ever seen. The run from Ostend to Lympne was also very good, and from Lympne to Croydon, on December 24, was quite normal. Asked by Mr. Trevor Watson (representing the Air Ministry) what his opinion was as to the condition of the engine during the period December 18-24, he replied that he thought it was perfectly normal. W. G. R. Hinchliffe, who has been engaged with Imperial Airways since its inception, and had been flying the crashed machine before Captain Stewart took it over, said that he was instructed to fly on December 18 from Croydon to Amsterdam and return the same day. During that flight there was oil fluctuation, and the engine was rough when he left Croydon, but he arrived at Amsterdam in normal time. He reported the engine to the mechanic Scott, of Imperial Airways, at Amsterdam. He had flown for half-an-hour on the way back to London when oil fluctuations recommenced in an aggravated form, pressure dropping to 25 lbs., and the engine became slightly rougher. The combination of the two things decided him to return to Amsterdam,. The engine gave perfectly good revolutions. The mechanic then gave the engine another overhaul. He was told that specks of white metal were found in the oil filter, which might indicate trouble in a bearing, so he carried out a flight test, and found the engine perfectly satisfactory, though still rough. On December 19, he restarted for Croydon, and again oil fluctua- tions began after half-an-hour. He carried on a little longer, but as the weather was bad and he had no confidence in the engine, he returned again. The oil system was again overhauled, but he did not pro- ceed owing to bad weather conditions until December 23, when he flew to Ostend, and then on to Lympne, proceeding to Croydon the next morning. From Amsterdam to Lympne the engine gave very good revolutions, and the oil pressure now fluctuated on the higher end of the scale, not dropping below 58 lbs. The engine was rough during the whole period of his time away from Croydon. On landing at Croydon he reported verbally the condition of the engine to Major Brackley, and to two mechanics, and he also wrote out a report. He also found the mechanical superintendent, Mr. Hall, to tell him of his experience of the engine, and met Captain Stewart, and told him about the trouble, saying that Captain Stewart should take caxe because he had had trouble. Asked as to his opinion of the engine, he said he had flown better engines in which he had more confidence, but after examination by experts, if they found no further trouble, would have flown it. Ernest Scott, the mechanic stationed at Amsterdam, next gave details of the extremely thorough examination he made of the engine at Amsterdam on each occasion the pilot reported oil fluctuations. Gilbert E. Clark, inspector of engines at Croydon, for Imperial Airways, also gave evidence as to the happenings at Croydon on the occasion of the overhauling of the machine on its return from Amsterdam, on December 24 He gave it as his opinion that the roughness of the engine was due to atmospheric conditions. At the resumed hearing on January 28 Mr. Hunter Gray (Imperial Airways) said that, so far as his present knowledge went, the position his clients took up was that they were unable to say definitely the cause of the accident. Their view was that, so far as the defect in the pipe was concerned, that would have to be ruled out—subject, of course, to any further evidence which might be forthcoming. The general view of Imperial Airways was that the peculiar combination of very difficult circumstances, weather and otherwise, had militated so much on that particular day as just to bring the machine down to a set of conditions which might not occur again. Mr. G. E. Clark resumed his evidence, and read considered reasons for his decision that the engine was rit for service as follows :— (1) Had the cause of the roughness been due to any actual defect in the running of the engine, the pilot would most probably have been able to locate it. (2) Mr. Stirling ran a ground test and. found the engine to be running satisfactorily. (3) The inspection carried out failed to reveal any defect which would cause roughness due to malfunctioning of the engine. (4) The Tell Chart failed to reveal any signs of erratic running of the engine. (5) The ground test which he carried out personally showed the engine to be running perfectly .satisfactorily. (6) He had flown with a pilot in this type of machine on good, bad, and very bad days, and had noticed frequently that on bad days an impression as of a rough engine was created. Capt. F. L. Barnard, Imperial Airways pilot, who gave evidence next, repeated the evidence he gave at the inquest. He said he did not agree with the course of the machine as given by Maj. Cooper, nor with the statement that the pilot made an S turn, and stated emphatically that he did not agree with the suggestion that everything pointed to engine trouble, adding that the reasons which might make a pilot wish to turn back were a fault in the load, a fault in the machine, or a fault in the engine. Asked if he had any theory as to the accident, Capt. Barnard said he thought very possibly that some sort of fluctuation in the oil pressure was indicated on the gauge, and the pilot, having been warned of this by Mr. Hinchclifie, thought that the best thing to do was to return to the aerodrome. He did not mean to suggest that necessarily there were fluctuations of oil pressure in the engine, but only that they were indicated on the instrument. These fluctuations, in his view, made the pilot decide that to return was the best thing to do, particularly as Stewart had not had so much experience of commercial machines as some of the other pilots. Capt. Arthur Newman, D.F.C., an underwriter for the British Aviation Insurance Group, said that he was perfectly satisfied with the precautions taken to ensure the safety of the pilots, machines, and passengers of Imperial Airways. He was satisfied that the accident was in no way due to negligence on the part of Imperial Airways, and the claim for the machine would be admitted. The inquiry was then adjourned until January 29. We will conclude our report on the inquiry in next week's issue. City of London Territorials AT a meeting of the City of London Territorial Associa- tion, the Lord Mayor presiding, held at the Mansion House on February 3, Colonel Evelyn Wood (the secretary) reported that preparations were now going actively forward for the inauguration of the City of London squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force. There would be 27 pilots on the establishment, and he was now registering candidates. It was further reported that it had been agreed, as between the association and the Air Council, that three officers of the Royal Air Force and three co-opted members to represent Air Force interests, should be added to the association. Mapping London from the Air AEROFILMS, LTD., of the London Aerodrome, Hendon, X.W.9, have now fixed up a contract to make an aerial photo- graphic survey of the whole of greater London, and the work will be started upon within the next few weeks, directly weather conditions are favourable. Over 1,000 exposures will be made, and it is expected that the resultant mapping and fitting together of the photographs will take the company's mapping department many weeks to complete. Considerable interest has already been expressed by many public bodies, and there i.s not any doubt that the results will prove of great value. Every endeavour will be made to have the City and West End sections of the map ready for the re-opening of the Wembley Exhibition. Trans-Pacific Flight IT is rumoured that the proposed Trans-Pacific flight from San Francisco to Sydney will take place this year, and that the U.S. Bureau of Naval Aeronautics is having a large seaplane constructed for this flight. R.A.F. Fatal Flying Accident THE Air Ministry regrets to announce that, as a result of an accident at Hal Far aerodrome, Malta, to a Fairey " Flycatcher " of No. 403 (Fleet Fighter) Flight Mediterra- nean, on January 29, 1925, Flying Officer Richard Lewes, the pilot of the aircraft, was killed. 74
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
