Portal:Civil Aeronautics Board

“ An accident involving aircraft NC 21727 occurred in the vicinity of Vero Beach, Florida, on April 3, 1941, about 9:07 A.M. [1] while the aircraft was being operated in scheduled air carrier service between Miami, Florida, and New York, New York, as Trip 14 of Eastern Air Lines, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as "Eastern") . The accident resulted in the destruction of the airplane, serious injury to ten passengers and the three members of the crew, and minor injuries to the remaining three passengers. ”

“ Captain Meyers stated that as he passed Stuart, he observed dark clouds to the north and northwest, but that visibility was good to the east, west and south. Vision from the cockpit was reduced as he proceeded north, and realizing that a storm prevailed in that area, he turned westward toward a "light spot". Shortly thereafter he encountered heavy rain and hail which he estimated to be the size of golf balls, and considerable turbulence. After encountering the turbulence, the landing gear was lowered to reduce the air speed and thus the effect of turbulence upon the airplane. ”

“ While it is impossible to determine whether or not mere visual observation of the cloud mass would have given warning that it possessed unusual characteristics, there is enough possibility that it might have done so to cause unfavorable comment on the lack of evidence of any concern on the pilot's part for the making of the closest possible examination of the characteristics of the storm, and of its apparent lateral extent, before entering it. ”

“ In view of the known frequency with which violently turbulent conditions are associated with thunderstorms, Captain O'Brien should have made the most careful observation of the thunderstorm area into which he was proceeding, since even the inadequate weather information furnished by Eastern's ground personnel predicted "light to occasionally moderate turbulence in scattered thundershowers" along the flight path. ”

“ The only one who was actually in possession of sufficient information with respect to the operation of Trip 14 was the transportation agent at West Palm Beach.
Before persons are permitted to perform the functions of an aircraft dispatcher they must have an aircraft dispatcher certificate issued by the Administrator of Civil Aeronautics, which certificates are issued only after a showing of extensive aeronautical experience and a demonstration of adequate skill through written and practical examination. ”

“ The most clearly remediable factor is, of course, the operating procedures of Eastern. In fact, this accident might have been prevented if Eastern's operations had been so conducted as to insure the pilot's receiving such information and instructions as were, or could reasonably have been expected, to have been available to ground personnel. Special caution in these matters should always be displayed when flights are dispatched over routes where they may encounter distinctly unfavorable weather conditions such as a cold front or line squall type of thunderstorms. ”

“ At the time of departure from Miami, Florida for Jacksonville, Florida, the aircraft carried sufficient fuel to permit flight at normal cruising power to Jacksonville and thereafter to permit it to proceed to its alternate airport with sufficient fuel still remaining in the tanks for about 45 minutes of flight.
8. Trip 14 proceeded normally from Miami, Florida, to West Palm Beach, Florida, and from that point on, except for circling in the vicinity of Stuart, Florida, until it entered a thunderstorm accompanied by severe turbulence in the vicinity of Vero Beach, Florida. ”

“ Eastern, a Delaware Corporation, was operating at the time of the accident as an air carrier under currently effective certificates of public convenience and necessity and air carrier operating certificates theretofore issued to it pursuant to the Act, authorizing it to engage in air transportation with respect to persons, property and mail on various routes including that between the co-terminal points Newark, New Jersey and New York, New York, and the terminal point, Miami, Florida, via numerous intermediate points, among them being West Palm Beach, Florida ”

“ It is an established fact that when an airplane is at or near the stalling speed the air-speed indicator often shows a reading lower than the speed at which the airplane is actually traveling. This may explain the extremely low air-speed indicator reading recalled by the copilot. ”

“ Eastern did not provide an adequate dispatching system together with a trained number of certificated dispatchers on Route 6 so that aircraft could be informed of changing flight conditions as they progressed along the airway. The distance between Net York and Miami is about 1,250 miles and it was not possible for the dispatcher stationed at LaGuardia Field to maintain adequate supervision and control over the numerous aircraft simultaneously in flight and nominally under his supervision. ”

“ Since in this instance the flight was at right angles to the line squall, a left turn probably served to keep the flight in the turbulent area for a longer period than would have been the case if the flight had continued on its original course. Moreover, in making a turn in such conditions, the difficulty of keeping the airplane under control is increased as the power required to maintain level flight in a banked turn is greater than in straight flight and the stalling speed is increased. ”

“ Both Orlando and Daytona Beach reported mild thunderstorms. The rain area extended about 120 miles northward from Tampa and Daytona Beach. The 8:35 A.M. weather sequence report showed an extensive thunderstorm and rain area in the central part of Florida. Tampa reported a northeast wind of 28 m.p.h. with strong gusts and a thunderstorm with rain showers. West Palm Beach and Vero Beach were reporting thunderstorms. ”

“ He is responsible for keeping in frequent, regular contact with the flight in order that he can furnish the flight with all weather traffic, and other pertinent information relating to the operation of the trip. It is obvious that Dispatcher Stevens of New York was not in frequent regular contact with Trip 14 or any other trips operating in Florida about that time and that he could not possibly have furnished Trip 14 with the assistance to which Captain O'Brien was entitled. ”

“ Southern Georgia and northern and central Florida, broken to overcast cloudiness at 2 to 4 thousand with rain showers and scattered local thundershowers will prevail. Scattered to broken high cloudiness with scattered to broken lower cloudiness forming at 2 to 3 thousand by mid-morning will prevail southern Florida. ”

“ Trip 14 then resumed flight toward Daytona Beach in accordance with the flight plan. The captain stated that shortly after passing over Fort Pierce he turned on the instrument lights because it appeared that he would go on instruments shortly, probably within the next five or six miles. O'Brien at this time ordered the steward to have all passengers fasten their safety belts as he also expected to encounter rough air. ”

“ An intermediate clearance was received at West Palm Beach which contained the 7:35 A.M. weather sequence [6] from Miami to Jacksonville. Captain O'Brien's flight plan covering that portion of the trip from West Palm Beach to Daytona Beach called for instrument flight with a cruising altitude of 3000 feet above sea level and with an estimated time of one hour and five minutes. Savannah, Georgia, was designated as the alternate airport. ”

“ Captain Robertson, in command of Trip 315, departed from Jacksonville at 7:30 A.M. southbound en route to Miami via Daytona Beach, Orlando, Vero Beach, and West Palm Beach, under a flight plan calling for cruising at 4000 feet to Daytona Beach; 1000 feet from Daytona Beach to Orlando; and 2000 feet from Orlando to Miami. ”

“ MIAMI, Class C. Weather
0635 E High broken clouds, lower scattered clouds at 5000 feet, sea-level pressure 1010.8 millibars, temperature 75, dew point 67, wind southeast 16 miles per hour, altimeter setting 29.85 WEST PALM BEACH
0635 E Ceiling estimated 5000 feet, upper and lower broken clouds, pressure 1011.2 millibars, temperature 73, dew point 64, wind southeast 13, altimeter setting 29.85. VERO BEACH
0635 E Ceiling estimated 8000 feet, overcast, pressure 1011.2 millibars, temperature 70, dew point 62. Wind direction missing, velocity 13 miles per hour, altimeter setting 29.85. ”