| Source:
PRO file AIR20/5411 AIR 20/5411 From: Air Marshal Sir John Slessor, K.C.B.,
D.S.O., M.C. MOST SECRET - HEADQUARTERS COASTAL
COMMAND,
- ROYAL AIR FORCE,
- NORTHWOOD, MIDDX.
CC/8590/25/C.-in-C. 782 28th July, 1943. My Dear [illegible: Strather?] Reference our telephone conversation last night,
I attach for your provisional information a copy of
the proceedings of the Court of Inquiry into the
Sikorski accident. 2. As I told you, I
am not satisfied with these proceedings and think
that there are a number of vitally important points
which have been inadequately explored. The first
one, of course, is whether or not the controls were
locked. Admittedly the pilot
[Edward
Prchal] says he eased his stick forward,
but he might have been able to do that because
there is always a certain amount of slack in these
controls, and it does not prove conclusively that
they were not Locked in fact, because the elevator
lock is right back in the tail. The Engineer
Officer at Gibraltar admits that he did not carry
out any minute examination to see whether anything
had been jammed between the teeth and chain
rollers. I think we must go into it again and if
possible satisfy ourselves completely as to whether
or not there was any obstruction in the elevator
control system and consequently whether it can be
established beyond question that either the pilot
himself or his second pilot unlocked the controls
before starting his take-off run. 3. There are other
points which I think must be more closely examined.
For instance we have had several cases of dinghies
flying out in the air have had. that happen to me
myself). On one occasion it wrapped itself around
the elevator and put the aircraft into the ground.
Again I am not at all satisfied that the
arrangements in Air Transport Command for checking
in passengers and weighing up the load to make
certain that the maximum all-up weight has not been
exceeded, are adequate. I don't think in this case
there is much chance of it having been due to an
over-load, but I think the point must be examined.
Further, there is no evidence of what arrangements
exist for dinghy drills, provision of Mae Wests for
passengers, and so on. 4. I don't think
that there is any question of sabotage though I am
not altogether happy about the evidence of the
guards from the King's Regiment. For instance one
fellow who was acting as sentry admits that another
witness got into the aircraft at about 7 o'clock in
the morning without being observed. 5. One of our own
Accidents Investigation Officers was a member of
the Court, but I think this accident is so
important that we must have the more expert advice
of one of the Accidents Investigation Branch
people. What I have done therefore is as
follows /I.. - Air Marshal Sir Douglas C.S. Evill, K.C.B.,
D.S.C., A.F.C.
- V.C.A.S.,
- Air Ministry,
- King Charles Street,
- S.W.1
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2] I have told Gibraltar that the Court may have to
be re-opened and therefore neither witnesses nor
wreckage are to be disposed of without further
instructions; we are getting hold of one of Vernon
Brown's people to go through the proceedings with
us here; if we come to the conclusion that it will
be essential to re-open the Court of Inquiry and
send them back to Gibraltar (which I think myself
it will be) then I shall ask for the Accidents
Investigation Branch expert to go with them as a
special adviser, and finally, the Polish
representative, Wing Commander Dudzinski, will be
associated with the proceedings throughout. 6. I am afraid this
will cause a certain amount of delay, but I am sure
you will agree that it is necessary to go into the
matter much more carefully than has been done up to
the present. Yours [ever
Jack Slessor] |
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to David Irving