Tudor IV Aircraft

HC Deb 18 February 1948 vol 447 cc1138-42

22. Mr. George Ward

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation whether he is aware that a Tudor IV aircraft of B.S.A.A.C recently landed at Bermuda with insufficient petrol remaining to enable the aircraft to be taxied off the runway; whether a report was received from the Governor or any other authority in Bermuda; and what action was taken.

Mr. Leslie Hale

On a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. This Question postulates a matter which, in my respectful submission, is now the subject of a quasi-judicial inquiry. It asks about the use of a Tudor IV aircraft on a voyage to Bermuda, and suggests one of the reasons why there may have been difficulty in connection with the aircraft. That is a matter which will be investigated. It is the same make of aircraft, and the difference between them—

Mr. Speaker

Let us hear what is the answer to the Question.

Mr. Lindgren

The Governor of Bermuda telegraphed on 15th November that Tudor IV G-AHNK had landed at Bermuda from the Azores on 14th November after 14 hours 23 minutes flight with insufficient fuel safely to complete a circuit of the airfield. Inquiries were immediately made, and it was found that the aircraft had met abnormally strong headwinds of which the captain had received no adequate warning. British South American Airways Corporation state that the "dipping" of the tanks undertaken when the aircraft reached Bermuda gave a misleading reading because the aircraft was in a tail down position, and that, in fact, at least 100 gallons remained.

Mr. Ward

Will the Parliamentary Secretary answer the last part of my Question and say what action was taken? Will he also say why it was that when certain newspapers rang up the British South American Airways Corporation last week, they categorically denied any such incident had taken place, which was quite untrue?

Mr. Lindgren

So far as the last part of the supplementary question is concerned, I cannot give an answer, because I do not know the facts. As far as the first part is concerned, immediately it was brought to the notice of my noble Friend, he referred the matter to the Air Safety Board, who inquired into it and presented him with a report.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

May I ask whether it was incidents like this, and not an article in the Press, which led to the disagreement between the Chief Executive and the Board?

Mr. Lindgren

I think incidents such as this did have a bearing on the lack of confidence of the Board in their Chief Executive.

Mr. Crawley

Is this the only instance of an aircraft landing at Bermuda short of petrol, or is it true that there have been other instances of the same kind?

Mr. Lindgren

This is the only instance of an actual shortage of petrol. This is a difficult route. The range is very long, and the type of aircraft flown in regard to that range makes it the more difficult. There have been cases when the margin has been too narrow to be pleasant, but there has been no such case before.

Commander Noble

Can the Minister say whether any of the types of aircraft which have operated on this service during the past year have had sufficient fuel to reach any other port if they experienced such adverse winds?

Mr. Lindgren

No, Sir. One of the difficulties on this leg is that there is no alternative aerodrome in the vicinity of Bermuda. Whether the flight is under- taken at all depends on weather reports, and if bad weather develops on the route, then there is a point of "no return" where the captain decides whether or not to return.

Sir Ralph Glyn

In an earlier answer to a supplementary question, the Parliamentary Secretary said that a weather report had not been received. Can any inquiry into why it was not received be made?

Mr. Lindgren

Weather does change. Reports are received by captains of aircraft before a flight takes place. Remember that this flight takes 12 hours and that there is a gap before the receipt of the weather report.

Mr. Ivor Thomas

Is it not the case that when it landed this aircraft had sufficient petrol on board for a flight of 200 miles? Will the Parliamentary Secretary inquire into the possibility of faulty forecasting of winds, and will he bear in mind, when such suggestions are made, that B.S.A.A.C. have many foreign competitors who are jealous of their success?

Mr. Speaker

I think we are getting on dangerous ground in view of the fact that there is an inquiry going on in respect of the Tudor IV.

27. Mr. Ward

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation how many times the Air Sea Rescue Service in Bermuda has been alerted in the last six months owing to distress signals from aircraft of B.S.A.A.C.

Mr. Lindgren

Twice, Sir.

Mr. Ward

Will the Minister say whether on both these occasions there was a shortage of petrol, or whether it was due to other causes?

Mr. Lindgren

No, Sir. In one instance it was a shortage of petrol, and in the other it was an engine failure. On both occasions the captain thought it advisable to alert the Air Sea Rescue Service.

28. Mr. Ivor Thomas

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation whether a direction has been issued to B.S.A.A. grounding the Tudor IV aircraft; and what advice has been received from the Air Registration Board on this subject.

Mr. Lindgren

British South American Airways Corporation were informed of the decision to ground all Tudor IV aircraft, as a measure of prudence, pending detailed investigation. My noble Friend made the decision following a report from the Air Registration Board. It may be assumed that the advice of the Board was given the fullest consideration in reaching a decision.

Mr. Thomas

May I take it that the Minister of Civil Aviation has not taken a decision that the cause of the accident was a structural defect in the aircraft?

Mr. Lindgren

He is not in a position to make such a decision. His decision was that the cause of the accident might be one of a number of factors, one of which might be the aircraft. Therefore, it was deemed prudent to eliminate the possibility of the aircraft, as there were already aircraft of the same type in service.

Mr. Frank Byers

Is it not a fact that the Air Registration Board refused to ground this aircraft, and that the Minister on his own responsibility made this panic decision which may have a very serious effect on British civil aviation?

Mr. Lindgren

No, Sir. Normally one would give the answer that it is the Minister who is responsible for making a decision, that it is the Minister who takes responsibility for that decision, and that he does not divulge the advice he receives which enabled him to make his decision However, in view of the question raised by the hon. Member and the number of times this question has been asserted in other parts, the answer is that it is not in accordance with the facts. What the Air Registration Board advised was that it would be prudent to ground the aircraft.

Mr. Hale

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that this decision was taken immediately following a full investigation which reported favourably on the Tudor IV? Is he further aware that this decision does infinite harm to the British civil aviation constructional industry, and should not have been taken except on the most sound, important and decisive grounds?

Mr. Lindgren

No, Sir. Here was an accident in which an aircraft had vanished into thin air. It might have been due to a number of causes, one of which might have been the aircraft itself. If these aircraft had been allowed to continue to fly and another accident had happened, what would this House have said then?

Mr. Hale

Is my hon. Friend further aware that these planes have been flying for two years, and that there were three accidents to American Constellations in the first few weeks of their existence, about which no such decision was taken?