Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Friday 17 May 1946, page 5


End Of Evidence

MELBOURNE, Thursday.— The senior group captain of the A.N.A Captain T. R. Way, said to-day that he had no suspicion that Captain T. W. Spence was treating himself with insulin.

Captain Way was giving evidence at the Court of Inquiry into the crash of the airliner piloted by Captain Spence, near Hobart on March 10. Twenty-five lives were lost in the

crash.

Captain Way said he had charge of the training of pilots at Essendon. Captain Spence had shown himself a

skilful pilot when being trained by

witness.

In reply to Mr. Gillard, for the Civil Aviation Department, Captain Way said he knew Captain Spence

had been a member of the R.A.A.F and had been in Canada.

Replying to Mr. Winneke, assisting the Commissioner, Captain Way said he knew Captain Spence had been dis charged from the R.A.A.F. When being trained, Captain Spence had appeared to the witness to be in good physical condition.

R.A.A.F. DISCHARGE

Captain Way stated that if he had any reason to believe that a pilot was not physically fit, he would take him off flying. Captain Spence had not told him what medical disability had caused his discharge from the R.A.A.F., but he told him it was a

minor complaint, and when he had returned to Australia it was found that he had been cured.

Mr. T. F. C. Lawrence, aeronau-tical engineer employed by A.N.A. as chief technical adviser, said that, in his opinion, there was no evidence to indicate that the automatic pilot was engaged at the time of the accident.

He did not think the diabetic con-dition of Captain Spence, nor the theory about the bird striking the plane, was sufficient by itself to ac-count for the disaster. He consid-ered it was due to a combination of

circumstances.

This concluded the evidence, and counsel began their addresses.