Portal:Civil Aeronautics Board

“ It is the responsibility of airlines as common carriers of persons, property and mail in the exercise of the highest degree of care to take cognizance of the fact that perfection has not yet been achieved either in men or equipment and to anticipate as far as possible the occurrence of human error or mechanical defect so that measures to prevent them or avoid their potentially tragic effects may be taken. ”

“ Before flying on a civil airway under instrument weather conditions, approval must be secured from Airway Traffic Control for the flight, including the altitude at which it is to be flown. ↑ Points at which the exact position of the aircraft may be determined by radio, e.g., a fan marker, a cone of silence marker over a radio range station, or an intersection of radio ranges. ↑ The Civil Air Regulations (sec. 04.532 (d) ) require that all air carrier aircraft be equipped with two altimeters of the sensitive type. Eastern uses an instrument known as Kollsman. ”

“ On Eastern aircraft barometric pressure of one altimeter is kept at sea level pressure which allows the pilot to fly at indicated altitudes above sea level. Prior to landing the barometric scale of the other altimeter is set to correspond with a duplicate instrument on the airport which is kept set to show zero elevation. This allows the pilot to land to a zero reading at that particular airport. ↑ Trip 19 had landed a few minutes prior to Trip 21's arrival over the Stone Mountain fan marker. ”

“ Accordingly, it is our belief that neither a structural nor mechanical failure, nor the presence of carburetor ice was a contributing factor in the crash. The fact that he was operating at a dangerously low altitude due to any of the foregoing reasons would have been apparent to Captain Perry if his altimeters were reflecting the correct altitude at the time, and he would have taken some emergency measures as outlined above to have averted the crash. ”

“ Examination was made of the wreckage including the engines, propellers, instruments, radio equipment, controls and other parts of the aircraft, by technical representatives of the Civil Aeronautics Board. The results of this examination showed that there was no structural or mechanical failure of the airplane prior to the time it struck the trees southeast of the airport. ”

“ At the time of the accident Eastern Air Lines held currently effective certificates of public convenience and necessity and air carrier operating certificates authorizing it to conduct the flight.
3. Captain Perry and Pilot Thomas were physically qualified and held proper certificates of competency to operate as air carrier pilots over a route between New York, New York, and Atlanta, Georgia, via intermediate points.
4. Aircraft NC 28394 was currently certificated as airworthy at the time of the accident. ”

“ In that event the error would have amounted to approximately 1,200 feet and would probably have resulted in a crash at a much earlier stage of the instrument approach than that at which it actually occurred. Moreover, it is most improbable that some adjustment was not made in this instrument after the Atlanta Airport setting was broadcast to Trip 21 and correctly acknowledged by a member of the crew. ”

“ These towers are normally equipped with radio receivers tuned to air carrier company frequencies as well as to frequencies used by military and privately owned aircraft. They usually are also equipped with a transmitter which operates on 278 kilocycles. ↑ See sketch of Eastern's instrument approach procedure which is incorporated in the company operations manual. ↑ When making an instrument approach from the northeast at Atlanta, Georgia, the normal procedure is to pass over the radio range station at 1800 feet above sea level. ”

“ This model aircraft and its equipment had been approved by the Civil Aeronautics Authority for air carrier operation over routes flown by Eastern for 28 passengers and a crew of four. This particular airplane was convertible into berth sections for use at night. When so converted, the airplane carried a normal complement of 16 passengers. The airplane, as equipped with de-icers, had been certificated for operation with a standard gross weight of 24,546 pounds and a provisional gross weight of 25,346 pounds. ”