Evening star., 1941-03-19
House Members Visit
Airports 10 Prepare
For Crash Probe
Representatives Inspect
Control Facilities at
Two Local Fields

IN preparation for a field investi-
cation of the six air transport
crashes which have occurred since
last August, members of a special
House Investigating Committee
headed by Representative Nichols,
Democrat, of Oklahoma, today made
a Standardization" visit to WASH
ington Airport and the new WASH
ington National Airport at Gravelly
Point.
Mr.. Nichols announced that the
members of his committee will leave
Washington Monday for Cincinnati
to investigate the crash of an Amer
lean Afrlines plane which skidded
into a levee in recent landing ac-
cident. From Cincinnati, the COM
mittee probably will go to Atlanta
to study on the scene of the recent
Eastern Air Lines crash in which
Representative Byron, Democrat, of
Maryland was among those killed
and Capt. Edward v. Rickenbacker
was seriously injured.
1--WE plan to investigate all of these
ICSCIlG dASlNlCIlIS dG Vic SSCllC anu W
make f1rst-hand study of the local
conditions and the Fedaral, local and
airways equipment and facilities in
any way connected with them"
Chairman Nichols explained.
Control Tower Inspected.
He described today's visit to the
two local airports as being made to
provide an opportunity for commit
tee members "to familiarize our
selves with the technicalities of air.
port and airways control methods
and procedure, technical terms, (and
other background matters"
The committee met at Washing
ton Airport and the members in
spected the airport control tower,
operation Of which was explained by
Samuel j. Solomon, airport man
ager; Earl N. Ward, chief of the
Civil Aeronautics Authority's air
ways traffic control service, and
tower personnel.
Owing to a strong, gusty wind, all
air transport operations were trans
ferred from Washington Airport to
the new Washington National Air
port at Gravelly Point during the
time of the visit. Members of the
committee watched the control
tower directing the landing of five
airline planes at the new field by
remote control and witnessed the
procedure in checking the move
ments of a number of Army and
Navy airplanes in the local area
and keeping the airline pilots in
formed of their movements. At one
time during the visit, the control
tower was handling the simultane-
ous movements of six airplanes.
Gravelly Point Inspected.
The committee then visited the
airways traffic control center at
Washington Airport, one of IA such
centers established by the C. A. A.
In the United States for controlling
the movement of air traffic along the
Federal airways, particularly In bad
weather. Seven other centers are
planned. Mr.. Ward and personnel
Of the Office explained the procedure
In handling traffic on the major air.
ways out of Washington.
Visits also were made to the
United States Weather Bureau sta
tion and the airways communica-
tions station at the local airport,
where committee members made a
study Of methods of gathering, an
alyzing and disseminating aviation
weather information and of han
ding teletype and radio communi-
cations along the airways and to air
planes in flight.
A brief inspection Of the new
Gravelly Point Airport was made
under direction of John Groves,
newly-appointed manager of the
model terminal now being completed
there.
Members of Mr.. Nichols commit
tee are Representatives Kleberg of
Texas, Pearson of Tennessee, Dirk
sen of Illinois and Hinshaw of Cali
fornia.