Daniel C. Roper

“ Consideration also will be given to the adoption of a proportionate fuel reserve regulation to apply to long distance flights.
It is deplorable that this accident should have happened when both the plane and the fields over which it was flying were not fitted with equipment now being developed under the supervision of the Bureau that it is believed will lend material aid to flying safety. Rapid progress is being made in the perfection of equipment for the transmission of radio communication and radio direction signals designed to greatly improve air line operations. ”

“ Regulations require that when a first pilot has been absent from an airline division for more than six months, he shall obtain approval from the Bureau of Air Commerce before returning to duty. While Pilot Bolton had previously flown the Los Angeles-Kansas City Division for an extended period, he had been regularly assigned for nearly a year prior to the accident to the Kansas City-Howard run and had not been approved for duty for scheduled operation on the Western Division. ”

“ The SKY CHIEF accident occurred on a run on which the operating company had been granted a waiver. This waiver was granted at the request of both T.W.A. pilots and officials because the Los Angeles-Kansas City eastbound run has a scheduled flying time of eight hours and fifteen minutes. Thus the waiver permitted the company to work its first pilots a short time in excess of the regular eight hour day and thus enabled them to complete the run with one first pilot. ”

“ Usually waivers were granted to assist companies to complete runs of slightly more than eight hours duration where the changing of pilots near the end of a run would work an unnecessary hardship and expense without adding to the safety of the operation. ”

“ Thus it was possible for the SKY CHIEF pilots, not only to relieve each other at the controls for rest periods, but also to control the plane safely by the automatic pilot.
The point has been made that the SKY CHIEF did not carry a hostess and that at times the co-pilot may have been called upon to perform duties ordinarily assigned to a hostess. This is an accurate statement regarding the size of the crew personnel. T.W.A. planes do not carry hostesses. ”