Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-09
Discounted
As Cause Of AirIiner
Crash al LovettsviIIe
No Fire or Explosion
Before Impoet; No Oil
Trouble in Evidence

"a other persons, was caused by
lightning, Civil Aeronautics Board
investigators were told today by
Luther Harris, vice president Of
Pennsylvania-Cen Airlines, in
charge of maintenance.
Meanwhile, a coroner's inquest
into the deaths was set by DR.. John
A. Gibson, Loudoun County (Va)
coroner, for Wednesday at 10 am.
in the courthouse at Leesburg.
Mr.. Harris said that examination
OF the propellers and the two en-
gines, however. indicated the en-
gines were developing excessive
power at the time Of the crash
and that the airplane was travel
ing well above cruising speed" when
1t struck the ground at an angle
between 30 and IS degrees, with
the left wing slightly low.
Had the airplane been hit by
lightning, experience indicates, there
would have been burning or fusing
Of radio equipment, the antenna or
insulatorS. Mr. Harris said the radio
equipment showed no such damage.
He indicated that it is not uncom-
mon for aircraft to be struck by
lightning, but that there is no evil
dence of material damage there
from He admitted, however, that
in this case some parts which might
have been affected by lightning
could not be found or were so mutt
l 10 81 % L.
Hurting of Crew Discounted.
Chairman Harlee Branch of the
Civil Aeronautics Board attempted
by cross-questioning to develop the
lightning theory. He asked Mr..
Harris whether the crew might have
been stunned by lightning and fallen
forward on the airplane controls,
opening the throttles and the pro-
peller pitch controls to the maxi
mum speed position. Mr.. Harris
said there was no evidence that
this had happened.
The witness also discounted the
theory turbulent air might have
thrown the big airliner into a dive
from which the pilots were unable
to recover. He said that experience
indicates that vertical gusts or cur
rents of air do not make so much
difference since we have got con-
trollable pitch propellers and higher
airplane speeds"
Mr.. Harris, the only witness be-
fore the c. A. B. investigators this
morning, testified that the airplane
l haI ~,
spection checks during the "a hours
preceding the crash and that none
revealed any defects.
Mr.. Harris submitted copies Of all
inspection reports covering the life
of the a1rplane
Oil Trouble Not Evident.
Mr.. Harris was questioned by
board members about an oil filter
which was said to have delayed de-
Il parture of the plane on its last
flight. He said there was no evi-
dence OF oil trouble and that in de-
tailed inspection Of the engines at
i Pittsburgh after the crash there was
mo evidence that the Inspection
showed damage to bearings and
parts apparently resulting from
operation of the engines at excessive
power and speed Immediately be-
fore the crash. Whatever damage
was done occurred during the final
2 minutes of the flight, he said.
He admitted indications that dur
ing the last seconds of its dive into
the ground the engines were de-
veloping greater speed and power
than the fabrication system could
take care of, but said that this did
not mean a breakdown of the oil
ing system.
There was no evidence of fire be-
fore the crash, Mr. Harris testified.
Something more than 400 gallons
of gasoline in the fuel tanks was
thrown forward with the other
wreckage in state of atomization
and its ignition would have made
the one large flash of light eyewit-
nesses described, he explained.
The largest fire which occurred
in the wreckage was due to the
ignition of magnesium flare which
burned part of the rudder, he said.
No Explosion In Flight.
Mr.. Harris went at considerable
length into the condition and dis
tribution of the wreckage, which was
scattered over several acres of
ground. The angle at which the
plane struck was determined from
corn stalks in the field. The parts
OF the machine were found on the
ground in the same relative position
they occupied in the plane, discount
ing the theory of an explosion in
flight.
Mr.. Harris said that an attempt
had been made to find the condi-
ton. of all the airplane controls.
- The elevator wires were broken but
the nature of the breaks indicated
they occurred in the crash and not
In the air. All other damage to con-
trolls apparently resulted from the
impact. He said all ignition switches
were on and that the throttle con-
trolls were advanced all the way
having been thrown forward so hard
that the knobs were stripped and
the arms bent, but that this was
probably result of the crash.
The landing gear and the wing
flaps were in flying position and
had not beer. lowered for landing.
Fire extinguishing equipment was
found intact.