Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Saturday 14 August 1954, page 2


'NO ERROR' IN PLANE SMASH, SAYS COUNSEL

Singapore, Thursday

THE crash of a B.O.A.C. Constella-

tion at Kallang Airport, Singapore, was caused entirely by a ridge at the end of the runway, it was submitted here today by Mr. Christopher Shawcross, Q.C., senior counsel for B.O.A.C.

Making his final ad-dress to the Court which is investigating, he re-minded it that 33 per-sons lost their lives in the crash.

"The case for the cor-poration commenced, as it ends, with very strong pre-sumption that no error was committed by it or any of its servants," said Mr. Shawcross.

"In my submission, it is as plain as a pikestaff that this disaster would not have occurred if there had been no slope or ridge at the end of Kallang runway.

"The Court might think, on the evidence, that Cap-tain Hoyle, pilot of the Con-stellation, for some reason which may never be known, misjudged either his height or distance.

"But it still remains an unescapable and unarguable fact that the crash would not have happened had it not been for the condition which existed at that end of the runway on the day of

the crash."

Mr. Kenneth Seth, appear-ing for the Department of Civil Aviation, said Kallang had been designated as a Customs airport.

'No help'

But this was done with the proviso that the Government should not be called upon to develop or maintain the air-port to any specified stan-

dard.

Mr. Seth said: "Captain Stephens, of B.O.A.C. gave evidence and the whole pur-port of it was to provide further excuses for the land-ing the pilot made that after-

noon.

"No excuse so far put for-ward will shield the action of the pilot in landing short of the runway.

"He said that on the day of the crash Malay firemen showed considerable initia-tive.

"There was no help from the crew, except in the case of the two engineers."

Mr. Dennis Murphy, ap-pearing for Captain T. W. Hoyle, said pilots were often blamed for accidents, but it was a novelty to hear of a pilot blamed for not putting out a fire and rescuing pas-

sengers.

The inquiry continues on Monday.