Darwin Charles Brown for the Civil Aeronautics Board

“ Subsequent investigation disclosed that during the attempted landing at Long Beach, the right landing gear wheel had struck a mound of newly graded earth and gravel extending north and south across the aircraft's path of approach at a point some 350 feet east of the east and of the usable runway. ”

“ When it became apparent that it would be impossible to lower the left wheel, landing on Love Field with the wheels up was authorized by the Chief Flight Superintendent of Delta Air Corporation. Captain Dice continued to circle the field for about an hour in order to use up as much fuel as possible and thereby reduce the fire hazard; during this time preparations for an emergency landing were made at Love Field. ”

“ There is no reason to believe that the crew had operated the landing gear retracting lever during the roll of the airplane on the ground. This is substantiated by the fact that had the lever been operated, both sides of the landing gear would have collapsed simultaneously instead of the left side only. ”

“ Investigation further disclosed that the boundary lights at Sioux City were known to have defective wiring which caused them to dim intermittently during rain. These lights were dim during the landing of Flight 8, depriving the crew of the principal landmark by which the flight's position on the runway could be judged. ”

“ The direction in which the aircraft was landed affords not only a very short length of usable landing area but also requires that the aircraft be brought in over the previously mentioned ridge which further reduces the usable landing area.
The landing-down-through minimums for daylight operation with Lockheed Model 10-B aircraft, as authorized in Delta Airlines' Weather Letter of Competency and as approved by the Administrator, were, on January 4, 1941:
"Ceiling 900 feet, visibility one mile. Landings permitted when visibility is limited to one mile by purely smoke conditions." ”

“ Investigation disclosed that the stop provided in the wheel-well is not of sufficient length to perform its function unless the shock strut is fully extended, and the Safety Bureau of the Civil Aeronautics Board has brought this fact to the attention of the staff of the Civil Aeronautics Administration. ”

“ The weather conditions at Birmingham as reported by the U.S. Weather Bureau at 9:35 a.m. were: ceiling unlimited, visibility 1/2 mile with dense smoke; wind, east, 2 miles per hour. This report was given to the pilot by the carrier's station operator on the airport shortly after 9:35 a.m. At 5:48 a.m. a special weather report was issued by the United States Weather Bureau, stating that visibility was 1/4 mile, with dense smoke. ”

“ A portion of the bird's body came through the windshield and was later found on the cockpit floor. The captain was leaning over to operate the flap valve when the bird struck the windshield and the first officer, who was at the controls, saw the bird strike and had time to dodge. The vision of both pilots was unaffected and Proper completed the landing without further incident.
American Airlines has instituted a program of altering all windshields by installing glass of greater thickness. This installation is being made as rapidly as glass of the proper quality (ripple free) can be obtained. ”

“ It was subsequently ascertained that there had been no malfunctioning of the aircraft or any of its components, including the brakes. The subject runway is 2490 feet long and the wind, at the time of the landing, was about six or eight m.p.h. from a direction about 45 degrees to the right of the approach path. Since the accident, the carrier has stopped the use of the subject runway when wind of less than 12 m.p.h. exists. ”

“ The aircraft was then flown over the field parallel with the northeast runway but the smoke was thick enough to prevent the pilot from seeing the field until it was too late to attempt a landing. This approach was from the southwest. The pilot then turned to the west and passed behind a ridge approximately 100 feet high, located north and slightly to the west of the airport. After placing the aircraft on a heading slightly east of south he came in across the top of this ridge. He throttled the engines and made a normal landing off the runway with flaps fully extended. ”

“ An accident which resulted in minor damage to a model DC-3 Douglas airplane, NC 28345, owned and operated by Delta Air Corporation, occurred at about 7:27 p.m. (CST) on December 22, 1941, at the Municipal Airport, Birmingham, Alabama. No injury was sustained by any of the twelve passengers or the crew of three. ”

“ The observation relayed to Flight 8 was apparently a combination of the Weather Bureau report and the observation made by the Company operator, it was inaccurate to the extent that the pilot landed in a heavy rainfall with a tail-wind of approximately 8 m.p.h. while expecting conditions of light rain and negligible wind. ”

“ The control tower advised that the gear appeared to be all right, but Trip 7 replied that the right gear could not be fully extended and that the flight was returning to Burbank. The carrier's office at Burbank was advised and the flight proceeded in that direction. ”

“ On March 26, 1941, all air carrier operations at Birmingham were suspended. On April 3, 1941, the suspension was modified to allow air carrier operation except between the hours of midnight and sunrise. During the latter part of April the control tower was completed and a complete new interphone system was installed. After this installation had been inspected and approved by the Civil Aeronautics Administration, twenty-four-hour air carrier operation was resumed on May 2, 1941.
PROBABLE CAUSE: Action of pilot in attempting to land under a condition of extremely limited visibility. ”

“ Pan American Airways Flight No. 520 of September 23, 1941, originated at Barranquilla, Colombia, and was en route to Miami, Florida, with scheduled intermediate stops at Kingston, Jamaica, and Cienguegos, Cuba. ”

“ A Lockheed model 18-08, NC 25639, was extensively damaged in an accident which occurred about noon, August 1, 1941, at the Municipal Airport, Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was owned and operated by Continental Airlines, Incorporated. ”

“ The flight, designated by the carrier as No. 501 of June 7, 1941, originated at Brownsville, Texas, with Port of Spain, Trinidad, as its destination. Numerous intermediate stops were scheduled, including Tampico, Mexico City, Guatemala City, and San Salvador. ”

“ The crew consisted of Captain Murrell Don Dice and First Officer Leon B. Reynolds, both of whom were properly certificated and appropriately rated, and the stewardess, Martha A. Morris. Fourteen revenue passengers and fie company employees, who were riding as non-revenue passengers, were aboard. ”

“ No injuries were sustained by the two members of the crew or by the other two passengers. In command of the flight was Captain Edward C. Davis who held an airline transport certificate with 3S and 4M Land ratings and who had accumulated approximately 5,647 hours. Robert L. McKee, who held a commercial certificate with 4M Land and Instrument ratings and who had flown approximately 2,600 hours, was first officer. ”