May 18, 1977

Natl Transportation Safety Bd investigators attribute accident to landing-gear collapse, precipitated possibly by metal fatigue; recommends immediate inspection of 'suspect' attachment mechanism on all Sikorsky S-61 helicopters; NY Airways official rebuffs suggestion that additional safety hazard was created by standard practice of keeping rotor turning during loading and unloading; co temporarily suspends all daily flights to NYC met area airports; alleged similar landing-gear collapse of S-61 mil craft in Vietnam described; outcry by city residents against operation of heliport noted; wreckage and landing-gear attachment illus (M)

last in series of articles on legal profession finds that dramatic rise in lawsuits and costs concern bar; finds that in last 15 yrs, number of cases filed in Fed trial cts has nearly doubled, and similar increases have been recorded in many state ct systems; in last 5 yrs, number of class-action suits in Fed cts has nearly doubled and in '76, total of 5,320 civil rights suits were brought against employers, 1,500% increase over '70; lawyers and legal scholars comment; graph showing increase in litigation, '56-76 (M)

Carter Adm officials says privately that if Likud bloc maintains in power hardline stance against return of occupied Arab territories it would complicate US peace efforts (S)

Strauss and Masuda have reptdly reached agreement under which Japan will restrict exports by 40.9% to 1.56-million complete and 190,000 unassembled color sets; accord reptdly exempts sets in which Amer workers account for 40% of labor costs (M)

HR, 221-177, approves tentative Fed spending ceiling of $460.9-billion and deficit of $64.65-billion for fiscal '78; Sen has already passed measure (M)