Comments on: Rockne Plane Crash Inspires Safety Inventions (Jul, 1931)

By: Sandra A Hammond

Sandra A Hammond — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 17:25:04 +0000

I have an invention Idea for Aircraft Safety. Would like to be paid. For all aircraft! email me 310-847-0013 phone. Sincerly, Sandra A Hammond

By: mike

mike — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:42:55 +0000

Kharn, I believe I have seen an article on it here. The top left hand column has a list of topics, try transportation.

By: Harry

Harry — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 15:19:32 +0000

As if airports didn’t have enough problems, can you imagine how unpopular the “holler at ‘em” communications system would be with the neighbors?

By: JeffK

JeffK — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:49:04 +0000

The whole-plane parachute took a few decades, but they are in use today.

By: KHarn

KHarn — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:30:22 +0000

Do you have any articals about he early passenger ejector seats? I once saw a newsreel that showed them rolling out the plane’s door and automaticly deploying chutes and was so impressed that I used it in a fan-fiction.

By: Charlene

Charlene — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:51:14 +0000

The actual reason was that the Fokker Tri-Motor was constructed almost wholly of wood laminate. Water got into the structural members of the wing and over time (months, probably) weakened the glue bonding the members together. The strut finally failed, which allowed the wing to enter uncontrolled flutter, which in turn tore the wing off the plane.

The most important safety results of the Rockne flight were a) to force the Department of Commerce to release all accident reports so that pilots could learn from others’ mistakes, and b) to ban airlines from using wood composite aircraft when carrying passengers. (I don’t think they banned them at the time for carrying mail.)

The artificial horizon was also a safety boon, but it didn’t come about because of TWA 599 – it predates heavier-than-air flight. The first artificial horizons were built for surveyors back in the 18th century; the first built especially for flight are from the 1880s, and were built for balloonists.