Evening star., 1942-07-05
Report BIames Pilot
For Crash in Which
CaroIe Lombard Died
House Committee Says
Flyer FoiIed to Follow
Established Course
By the Associated Press

The House Committee on Investi-
cation of Air Accidents declared yes
terday that the crash of a Transcon-
tinental and Western Airlines pas
senger plane near Las Vegas, New,
January Is, in which Carole Lom-
bard and 81 others were killed, was
due to the negligence of Capt. Wayne
Williams, the pilot.
In report prepared for submis-
sion to Congress, the Committee said
Investigations showed that Capt.
Williams failed to follow the estab-
lished course between Las Vegas and
F Los Angeles, the destination of the
night fight, and that he few the
plane at such low altitude that it
collided with Potosi Peak of the
Spring Mountain Range near Las
Vegas.
The Committee said Capt. Will
liams was discharged by TWA in
1888 for alleged carelessness and dis
regard for regulations. but appealed
to the National Labor Relation
Board and was ordered reinstated.
Subsequently, it said, Capt. Williams
"settled down and established a
sound reputation as an air line pilot. y
No Sabotage Found.
While directly attributing the
crash to Capt. Williams flying
course, the Committee said evidence
showed that TWA had failed, before
the accident, to establish rules for
the route requiring all night flights
to be made at an altitude which
would insure safe passage over the
q S,304-foot peak.
Fifteen of the % victims of the
crash we're Army Air Force person.
mel engaged in ferrying activities.
"This accident would not have
occurred" the Committee said, had
the TWA adopted the same proce-
dures as Western Airlines for night
flights from Las Vegas to Los An
geles and required all of its pilots
to fly the Spring Mountain Range
at 10000 feet"
The Committee said it found moth
ing to substantiate rumors and re-
ports that the crash was caused by
engine trouble, sabotage, land even
a fight in the cockpit of the plane. "
Pilot mot Cautious"
The report placed much emphasis
upon a communication from the
Civil Aeronautics Administration re-
garding flying instructions for the
Las Vegas-Los Angeles route. 1t
said the CAA had on July Is, 194l,
issued an order suggesting or re-
ouiring that pilots flying from Las
Vegas to Palmade, Calf. along what
is known as Amber AirWay No. 9
'confne their fight movements to
the actual on-course signal of the
radio ranges serving this airWay for
sll operations, day or night, contact
or instrument.
capt. Williams failed to obey the
order or suggestion" the committee
said. His failure to obey this order
or suggestion was wholly inexcusable
He knew there were high mountains
between Las Vegas and Palmade
He carried a chart of the Spring
Mountain range and should have
known the elevation of its highest
peaks"
capt. Williams. who received his
training in the Army Air Corps. was
+ described by the report as "a skillful
pilot" with over II 900 hours of flight
time to his credit, and was said to
~ tcl, MI hi cn1f f,,
f1dence of his company as having
an average regard for rules"
your committee also finds" the
report said, that even among Capt
Williams closest friends he was not
regarded as cautious pilot W.
believe that he had so much conf
dence in his ability that he failed tt
take those precautions which more
prudent or less skillful pilots woule
not dare to neglect"
Earlier Risks Recalled.
The committee said that at tn
time of Capt. Williams employment
by TWA in 1881 "it was alleged tina
he took undue and unnecessar,
risks with equipment and cargo.
The TWA official in charge of oper
ations, the committee said, opposed
: Williams employment, but withdrey
= his objections on the recommenda
tions of others.
The committee reported that vii
liams was discharged by the TWl
in 1888, the reasons being given Wer
damaging equipment, grandstand
ing, carelessness, violations of De
partment of Commerce, TWA an
airport regulations and insubordi
nation
The report quoted Lawrence c
Fritz, TWA vice president in charg