20. Captain FABERasked if the Secretary of State for War whether he has now seen the Report of the public safety and accidents investigation committee of the Royal Aero Club relative to the deaths of 1652 Lieutenants Arthur and England; whether the Report concerning the death of the former is that the joint between the new and the old piece of the main spar of the aeroplane had been made in a most improper and unsafe manner, and that the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Aircraft Factory contained no entry of this repair; whether the latter should have had such an entry; whether he still attaches no blame to anybody for the deaths of these officers; and whether, if there is blame, to whom it should be attributed?
§ Colonel SEELYI have seen the report in question. The strictest instructions are laid down for recording repairs effected to Army aeroplanes, but as regards the accident to Lieutenant Arthur, in spite of most careful inquiry, it has been impossible to ascertain by whom the repair was carried out. Blame is undoubtedly attributable to some person unknown; the repair appears to have been made without authority and wilfully concealed by replacing the fabric. Mr. England was not an officer of the Royal Flying Corps and the aeroplane in which he met his death did not belong to the Government.
§ Mr. FELLIn view of the very grave facts stated by the War Minister, is the right hon. Gentleman making further inquiries as to whether there was bad material and bad workmanship in this machine, and can he find out?
§ Colonel SEELYThere is nothing new in what I have said, and I only repeated what I had told the House before. There is no question of bad material or bad workmanship in the original machine, but some accident occurred which was secretly repaired by an unauthorised person, who has not been discovered. It is possible that such an accident will not occur again, though of course one cannot be sure, but after most careful inquiry I do not think such an accident is likely to occur again.
Mr. ALAN SYKESDoes the right hon. Gentleman think that the accident occurred after the machine came into the hands of the military authorities or before?
§ Colonel SEELYWe cannot tell how the accident occurred, though the most careful inquiry has been made; nor do I believe it is possible to find out when this injury was sustained. The guilty party who made the repair has not been discovered, but I do not think that this kind of accident is ever likely to occur again.
§ Colonel SEELYSpeaking from recollection, it was a new machine when bought, and a very good one, too. It is impossible to detect their little defects, or it appears to be impossible, when they are repaired and carefully concealed by some guilty person.