Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-06-14
REPORT IS MADE
IN CUTTING CRASH
Weather Chiefly Blamed for
Death of Five in Plane
Wreck.

rect forecasts by both the Government
and company meteorologists, with spe-
cific violations of five Bureau of Air
Commerce regulations and faulty work
by ground personnel as contributory
factors, we're held responsible by the
Department of Commerce today for
the crash of the crack Transconti-
mental & Western airplane, in which
Senator Bronson M. Cutting of New
Mexico and four other persons were
killed near Atlanta, Mo. May 6.
Secretary Of Commerce Roper and
Director Of Air Commerce Eugene l..
Vidal. in statements accompanying
the accident report made public today.
said the violations will be filed
against the company"
Publication Of the crash report,
based on GOT pages of testimony from
SO witnesses and weeks of intensive
investigation by Federal airline inspec-
tors, came on the heels of Senate
action calling for thorough investiga-
ton by a Senate Committee of the
crash and of the Bureau Of Air Com
merce and other Federal agencies
dealing with air transportation.
Weather Chief Cause"
81 am convinced" Secretary Roper
said, that the accident was due
chiefly to bad weather conditions.
The two pilots, Bolton and Greeson.
made everey possible effort to land
their passengers safely, but were I'M
able to do so because of the prevail
ing fog and darkness.
"Contributory causes undoubtedly
from both the United States Weather
Bureau and the company meteorolo-
gist, given the crew at Albuquerque
about 8 am. on May 5; improper
clearance by T. W. A. ground per-
sonnet of the plane from Albuquerque;
improper control of the plane by the
same personnel after the departure
from Albuquerque; error on the part
of the pilot in proceeding after he was
unable to effectively communicate
with the ground, and failure Of the
T. w. A. ground personnel at Kansas
City to expeditiously redispatch the
plane to a field where safe landing
might be effected"
The regulations which were vio-
lated were made effective as of Octo-
Der /, 1884. Secretary Roper said,
and were supplied to the company In
November and printed by the COM
pany in its manual. with the comment
on each page that they were approved
by the Bureau of Air Commerce.
The first regulation violated requires
that when a first pilot has been alb
sent from an operating division of an
airline for more than six months he
shall obtain approval from the Bureau
of Air Commerce before returning to
duty on that division. Pilot Harvey
F. Bolton had served for nearly a
year prior to the accident on the Kan
sas City-New York division and had
not been approved for duty on the
Western division, Roper said.
Examination Not Taken.
pilot Bolton did not take the quar-
terly medical examination during the
month of February, 1885, as required
by the regulations" the Secretary re-
ported.
The third violation noted was that
Copilot Kenneth H. Greeson did not
hold Federal scheduled air transport
rating, required on runs involving
more than eight hours of flying.
The fourth violation cited was that
the fuel tanks of the wrecked airplane
contained only a 27-minute reserve
fuel supply when the crash occurred.
although Federal regulations require
a 45-minute reserve.
The fifth violation dealt with in
strument flying over or through fog
under certain conditions, one of
which is that "two-way communica-
ton is maintained with ground sta
tons"
"Official records" Secretary Roper
said, SHOW that the planes radio
transmitter was not functioning on
night frequency when the plane
cleared Albuquerque and that the off,
cial weather forecast indicated that
instrument flying would be required
along the route"
In his statement accompanying the
report Director Vidal declared that
company personnel initiated or per-
mitted certain irregularities which
were inexcusable. were violations or
regulations and automatically will be
treated as SUCH"
WEATHER REPORTS BLAMED.
NEW YORK, June IA P.-Jsck
Frye, president Of Transcontinental
and western Air, defended the equip
ment of the air liner which crashed
near Man0n. Mo. Nav 6. and the plane