§ 2.44 p.m.
§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHMy Lords, may I ask Her Majesty's Government the Question of which I have given them Private Notice: Whether they have any statement to make about the crash of the Beverley transport aircraft when attempting to land at Abingdon R.A.F. station, which resulted in such tragic loss of life?
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, shortly after 11 o'clock yesterday morning a Beverley from the Royal Air Force Station, Abingdon, crashed near Drayton, about two miles from the airfield. The aircraft, which was bound for Malta and Cyprus, had taken off a few minutes before, but had reported engine trouble, and was returning to the airfield. The dead included three members of the crew, with twelve officers and airmen flying as passengers, and two civilians in the house which was demolished. The two remaining members of the crew, one other passenger in the aircraft, and two civilians were injured. A Board of Inquiry has been convened and assembled this morning. I know that your Lordships will join with me in expressing sympathy with the bereaved and the injured.
§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHMy Lords, may I first of all associate myself personally with the noble Lord's expression of sympathy? I feel sure that noble Lords will appreciate the tragic circumstances, which are personal in this matter. May I associate my noble friends on this 260 side of the House with the expression that the noble Lord has made? And may I ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in view of the fact that the airfield at Abingdon is situated in a built-up area with over 30,000 inhabitants, which is rapidly growing, and is therefore quite unsuited to the purpose for which it is used at the (present time, they will end all flying from this airfield forthwith?
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, although I fully sympathise with the noble Lord's personal interest in this matter, I cannot go so far as to agree with him. He will bear in mind that the crash occurred after the aircraft had been airborne for about eighteen minutes, and there are no airfields in this country which are so isolated that, given a similar set of circumstances, a crash on houses would not have been possible.
§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHMy Lords, in view of the consternation and the terror-striken atmosphere which has been created among these 30,000 people to whom I have referred, who are waiting to see whether it is to be their turn next, may I ask the noble Lord whether, until some inquiry has been made and some fresh consideration has been made of this problem, he will not suspend flying?
§ LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYEMy Lords, arising out of the question that the noble Lord has just asked, I would ask whether, before we consider any question of closing the aerodrome, the Minister could say what is the safety record at Abingdon, and whether it is not a fact that there has been no accident for a considerable number of years? Furthermore, in view of the fact that this aircraft had been in the air for eighteen minutes, is it not possible that a similar accident in landing could have occurred with this aircraft at one of dozens of aerodromes, had the pilot selected an aerodrome other than Abingdon?
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, I agree with the remarks just made by my noble friend Lord Balfour of Inchrye. I do not, of course, want in any way to prejudge the results of the inquiry which is now taking place, but on the evidence available it is not intended that the aircraft should be grounded. Air Ministry accident reports do not show the full details of accidents at Abingdon before 1951. Since 1951, however, there have 261 been no accidents at Abingdon involving civilian casualties, but there has been one accident, before the introduction of the Beverley, which caused certain damage to civilian property.
§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHMy Lords, I do not want to pursue this tragic subject. I did not ask that the aircraft should be grounded, as the noble Lord has said: I asked whether the airfield could be closed. The noble Lord is as well aware as I am that: the aircraft crashed on returning to the aerodrome, and was only about 1,000 or more yards away when it crashed in a thickly populated area. Is not the reply to the question that it only needs an accident like this to happen once in a thickly built-up area for the results to be so tragic? Is not once enough?
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, I hope that, because I am not giving the Answer the noble Lord wants, he will not accuse me of any lack of sympathy or of appreciation of the feelings which he and his neighbours must entertain as the result of this disaster; but I do not honestly think that what he wants would really be of any help to anybody.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, how long is this inquiry going to take? If, as I gather, it is to be treated as urgent, it cannot take very long. Cannot some assurance be given to the local population by suspending flying from that aerodrome for that comparatively short time? Then we could consider the report of the special inquiry.
§ LORD MANCROFTMy Lords, the Board is sitting now, and I hope that it will carry out its work as expeditiously as possible. I do not think the noble Viscount would like me to prejudge the matter in any way. No doubt the Board will come to a conclusion. In the meantime, what I have already stated must stand.