Why Air-Men Fall.
During the years 1909 and 1910 there were 548 accidents in airplanes. The causes have been carefully tabulated.
Forty-three accidents were due to imperfections in the machines.
Forty-two were caused by mistakes of the aeronauts.
Twenty-nine were the result of perturbations of the air.
Thirty-four were caused by spectators who got in the way of landings, or other air-men who got in the way, or other miscellaneous causes.
The mistakes of the aeronauts consisted in trying to rise too quickly, in turning too sharply or too near the ground, and in making a poor landing.
Therefore it will be seen that the causes of falls from the air are about the same as the causes of the falls made by us commonplace mortals that remain on the ground.
Some of our trouble is due to causes beyond our control, but not beyond our observation. The air-man cannot master the squall, but need not go up when it is squally.
Other tumbles of ours are due to other people that get in our way, that tempt us and bring about our ruin. But we might have steered clear of them, if we had had our wits about us and been sufficiently prudent.
Many of our falls have been brought about by imperfections in our physical or mental make-up. We have been worn out or worried or nervous, and our judgment has been clouded and our will power has been weakened. But the air-man might have seen that his engine was in good condition and his braces stout, and we might have built up our bodies and strengthened our characters.
By far the greater part of our tumbles in our lives here on the ground are due to our own blunders. We have been ambitious, and have tried to rise too fast. We have been over "smart," and have played tricks to win applause. We have attempted on chicken's wings to imitate the eagle. We have been headstrong and foolish, and we have justly earned the tumble we have received.
I am going to keep an eye on the aviation notes after this, and in place of the luckless aeronaut who gets a fall I am going to read my own name. I think that most of the time it will fit.