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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 26, 1962)
2 B Experts SUNDAY. AUGUST 28. 19S2 MEDFOHD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFOF! OUGO By ROBERT J. SERLING UPI Aviation Editor Washington - WPD - Air ex. ports are becoming increas ingly concerned over avia- tion's most vital single safety functlon-the investigation of crashes. The concern is three-fold -There is too much feuding. buck-passing and dodging of responsibility in solving acci dents. -Every air crash should teach a lesson but there some evidence the lessons are not always applied. -Too frequently the empha sis is on attaching blame rath er than taking action to pre vent recurrences. The federal agency charged with determining the cause of civilian crashes is the Civil Aeronautics Board. The CAB's bureau of safety, which has about 100 investigators, is the unit entrusted with this task. There is little tendency to criticize the CAB or its bureau of safety, which most observ ers agree has done a remark able job under trying circum stances. But throughout the aviation industry-and within the CAB itself-some sharp questions are being asked about the future of accident investigation. The plain truth is that crashes are getting harder to solve in this fifth year of the jet age. Planes fly higher and faster. This means wreckage can be scattered over -vlder areas. Planes carry more fuel. This means destruction by fire Is more complete than ever before. Planes are far more complicated-actually a safety factor but one that magnifies the scope of almost every ac cident investigation. One of the chief difficulties is that the CAB literally wears two hats. It tries to solve the crash but in doing so !t fixes responslblllty-and on the lat ter may hinge millions of dol lars In 1 a w s u i t s. Claims against the airlines and manu facturcrs involved in just two blectra crashes totaled $95 million. This has resulted in acci dent hearings being "adver sary proceedings" rather than an objective, impartial search for the truth. Jerome Lederor, director of the highly-regarded flight safety foundation, recently summed up the solu- Become Concerned Over Investigations of Air Crashes tion: "The airlines, manufactur ers and even the government can be expected to protect and defend their special interests under conditions of accident investigation which, while in tended to bring out the facts to prevent a recurrence of the accident, are in actuality later used to assess blame. "Hearings conducted in a climate of tension, antagonism and publicity are not condu cive to the free, frank disclos ure of evidence. A climate of quiet, dignified objectivity might be more productive.es- pecially if the legal obstacles could be reduced." Melvln Gough. who once headed the CAB's bureau of safety, agrees. "Air crash investigators en counter certain barriers to information," he said in speech just before he left of. f ice. "Manufacturers and other parties frequently are reluctant to talk to inves tigators because of the possi bility of later damage suits." The Air. Line Pilots associa tion (ALP A) for years has felt that fixing blame rather than instituting rerorms is the heart of the investigative problem. ALPA, for example, concedes that pilot error is a major source of accidents. But ALPA also believes the CAB does not always look for the reas ons why pilots make mistakes. Too often, ALPA says, pi lots are trapped into fatal errors by factors beyond their control-inadequate airport fa cilities, poor cockpit design, obsolete navigation and light ing aids, or marginal federal regulations, to cite a few. Jealousy between the two government air agencies also is believed to have hampered crash investigation. A long simmering feud between the CAB and the Federal Aviation Agency has exploded in the open on recent occasions. There are some men in the CAB's bureau of safety who fear the FA A wants to take over accident investigation which FAA administrator Na- jeeb E. Halaby heatedly de nies. CAB Chairman Alan S. Boyd, a close friend of Hala by, also denies a serious feud exists. Perhaps there is har mony at the upper echelons, but in the rank and file of the two agencies there is fric-j tion. The feud has died down considerably In the past few weeks. But it still smoulders and is one of the reasons why some experts have proposed a brand new, independent agency to handle accident in vestigation. One proponent is former FAA Chief Elwood R. Quesada. He argues that the CAB's preoccupation with air line economic matters has in effect destroyed its objectivity in solving crashes. But the feeling is that the CAB is perfectly qualified to continue in charge, provided reforms are made. What re forms? Here are some of the proposals being considered. -Lederer of the Flight Safe ty Foundation has recom mended formation of an elite corps of international accident specialists, carefully picked and trained, with worldwide laboratory facilities at their disposal. He said air travel is global, that lessons can be learned from any crash, no matter where it happens. The CAB, in effect, would be a part of the corps. -ALPA is suggesting that the CAB's system of appoint ing "teams" to crash probes be extended into the actual writing of the final report. The teams include pilots, the airline and the manufacturer of the plane involved in the crash, the FAA and other in terested parties. ALPA feels that the CAB, which draws heavily on such teams in the early phase of an investigation, also should consult them during the pro cess of analyzing evidence. This, the pilots' union be lieves, would end much of the bickering and argument that often follows a CAB report. -The CAS and FAA are seriously considering setting up a school for accident in vestigators. FAA also has of fered to put its vast communi cations network and its size able fleet of fast planes at CAB's disposal. The board has only one air craft, an aero but not so generous as to de- commander, and frequently has been criticized for not getting to accident sites soon enough. This is one reason FAA officials "get into the act" and into public print so often with comments on pos sible causes. -Some experts urge that a specific liability limit be put on airline accidents, such as a flat $25,000 or even $50,000 payment to survivors of crash victims. The amount, they say, should be large enough to provide ample protection feat the purpose of the pro- posal-to reduce the expensive avalanche of legal claims which so obviously play a major role in accident inves tigations. Finally, there is another proposal-from Lederer-which is so logically simple that one wonders why nobody thought of it years ago: Paint the inside of an air craft structure with different colors, so in the event of a crash the pieces can be identi fied more easily and recon structed more quickly. ...kw.i. , r ...... , .. . w,, , fr, mii il I'littiai niiii iim ei.r -(FULLER'S DOLLAR-SAVING RECONSTRUCT AIRCRAFT The federal agency charged with determining the cause of civilian crashes is the Civil Aeronautics Board. The CAB's bureau of safety, which has about 100 Investigators, is the unit entrusted with this task. Here, CAB experts earlier this year are shown at the pains taking task of reconstructing a mock-up of the rear one third of Continental Airlines jetliner which crashed near Centervllle, Iowa, May 22. CAB officials said cause was an explosion in the tail section. Bits of wreckage (on floor) will be hung on wood framework, at right. (UPI) Pressure Against Catholics in Poland Stepped Up by Gomulka By K. C. THALER United Prats International London-IUPD-The Commu nist regime of party chief Wludyslaw Gomulka has stepped up pressure against the Catholic church In Po land, ending a temporary lull in state-church conflicts. The Warsaw authorities, apparently perturbed by the inroads of Catholicism In the country, have moved to limit still further reli gious education of the youth. For its part the church is hitting back agnlnst the "nibbling away" of its remaining prl vilages. It has the deter mined leadership of Stefan Cardinal Wyszynskl. Signs arc that the fight between the government and the Catholic church is entering a new and impor tanl stage. Two weeks ago the Po lish government authorities closed a number of con vents and church run nur series in the Warsaw area, evicting nuns and children from their homes. The cardinal at once pro tested the action In a let ter read from Catholic pul pits throughout the War saw diocese. But the Com munist move was followed by a further government decision to take over, with in a year, all schools and orphanages In the country run by nuns and monks. The new decisions consti tute a heavy encroachment on the special position the church has held so far in Poland. Some reports sug gest the government in effect seeks to terminate the privileged position of the church. The main struggle has shifted to the field of edu cation, with the Commu nist authorities apparently anxious In narrow the in fluence of the church over Poland's youth since they have failed to win over the older generation to atheism. The campaign has been a slow and cautious one. In line with the "privileged" position the church has been allowed In Poland, alone among the satellite countries in East Europe. Fifteen years of Commu nism have not destroyed re ligion in Poland and. ac cording to available infor mation reaching the West, there is still more religious j freedom "nl han exists in most of the satel lite states. Religious services are continuing throughout in country and churches are packed. The state has con tributed to lhe mainte nance of church buildings as historic monuments, but It has blocked the building of new ones in many cases. Officially, the party Is committed to opposing re ligion but it moves care fully In the face ol deep rooted religious feelings of the population, The struggle dates back to 1945 when the regime first prohibited teachers other than clergy to teach religion. This was fairly ef fective at the time because there were not enough clergymen to do the job. The church's situation im proved under the tint churchitnte accord of April 14. 1950. Under the gov ernment, In exchange for an agreement that lhe church would not be used for antl-ttate purposes, pledged it would not "intro duce limitations into the present slate of religious instruction in school." But in September. 1953. Cardinal Wyitynskl was sent to prison in the wake of the Stalinist tightening of the screw everywhere behind the iron curtain. Religious instruction was systematically cut down or altogether barren through out the country. The "thaw" and the aftermath of the Hungarian revolt brought a new state church agreement, negoti ated by Gomulka and the Cardinal, which again per mitted religious education during school hours but only at the express request of the parents. The overwhelming ma jority wanted it, leaving only some 80 schools in 1957 without religious in struction. Since then, administrative pressures and practices gradually have again nar rowed religious education opportunities. The truce was Inter rupted formally in Febru ary. 1959. when the finance minister suspended a num ber of tax concessions to the church. The state began to reexamine the status of church property in the for- j mer German territories. and the clergy was in- 1 formed its members could no longer enjoy the privi lege of exemption from military service. Last year a formal ban was Imposed on all reli gious Instruction in schools. Prlosls were ordered to register their classes held In churches, and submit lists of children attending them. The majority of priests refused to comply with the registration order. The church is now fight ing the latest attack on voluntary religious instruc tion outside schools. But the government has not re treated although it prom ises that the take-over of religious schools will ba carried out "with gentle ness and tact." 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" ' 1 1 1 DRIVERS! DON'T HURRY when you drive! We may is well face it! We cannot reduce traffic casualties unless we slow down! The lives of others are in the hands holding your steering wheel. The minute you may save, isn't worth the life of a schoolchild! HAVE YOUR CAR CHECKED by an expert! Any ear that is not in perfect mechanical condition is potential murder weapon! The few dollars you spend may save a lifel Published in cooperation with the Medford Traffie Safety Council by The Mail Tribune
