Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-06-08
By Miriom Ottenberq

the sky or ram mountain or skip
off a runway. carrying passengers
and crew to their deaths?
The problem is still unsolved in
the three major air tragedies of 1947
But the accident investigation re-
ports of the Civil Aeronautics Board
provide the answer for most of the
IL major crashes of last year and
for the 10 worst crashes of 1945 on
scheduled air liners
An analysis of the CAB records
discloses that the human element
a pilots bad judgment or momen-
tary carelessness- was the largest
single factor in the air tragedies of
1945 and 1916.
Out of IS major crashes, the CAB
determined the cause was pilot error
in IL cases; fire in the air in two
cases and a maintenance mans mis-
take in one case.
AS contributing factors to disaster
the CAB cited company ground per-
sonnet or policies in four cases and
negligence of maintenance men in
one case. AS an independent agency
the CAB criticized the Civil Aero
nautics Administration in one case
for failing to keep a close enough
check on an airline's operating and
dispatching procedures over a Ger
tain route. 1t was conceded, how
ever, that shortage of CAA personnel
was to blame for the failure to check.
Inquiries Take Months.
Since CAB investigators examine
every possible reason for a crash
before fixing the blame, some of
their inquiries take many months
Final determinations of accident
causes have not yet been announced
in some 1916 cases. Following are
the closed cases of 1916 as reported
by the CAB:
On January 6, 1916, a Pennsyl-
vania Central Airlines DC-3 over
shot the Birmingham '(Ala.) air.
port and crashed into a creek. kill
ing three crew members and injur-
ing several passengers. Probable
cause: The pilots action in at
tempting landing from an ap-
proach which was too high and too
fast.
On January 1S, 1916, an Eastern
Air Lines DC-3 went down near
Cheshire, Conn, killing all IA pas
sengers and three crew members
Probable cause: Failure of the left!
wing in flight due to an engine fire.
caused by the failure of fuel line
or fuel line connection.
On January 81, 1916, a United Air
Lines DC-3 crashed near the top of
Elk Mountain, wyoming, killing all
81 occupants of the plane. Probable
cause: The pilot deviated from the
prescribed route at an altitude in
sufficient to assure adequate clear
ance over Elk Mountain.
On March 3, 1916, an American
Airlines DEB struck the east slope
of Thing Mountain, Calf, killing
all % passengers and the crew OF
three, Probable cause: The pilots
action in descending or permitting
a descent to be made into in
strument conditions to an altitudei
below that required to clear Thing
Mountain. The reason for the de-
scent has not been determined.
On October s, a United Air Lines
DC-4 crashed during an approach
for landing at the Cheyenne (Wyo)
airport. killing two of the passen-
gers and injuring all other occupants
of the plane. Probable cause: Loss
of altitude during turn while the
pilot was maneuvering to land. The
pilot himself said that Il made the
fatal mistake of not making the
turn with my eyes on the instru-
The Shannon Airport Crash.
On December %, 1916, a TWA |
Constellation crashed a mile from
the Shannon (Eire) airport during
a landing approach. killing five of
the IA passengers and four OF the
crew of nine Probable cause: An
error was made in installing the in
strument panel with the result that
the indication of altitude was wrong. |
Contributing factors were Cd the
negligence of maintenance personnel
in certifying that the instrument
panel was working satisfactorily !
making tests and t2) re-
striction of vision from the cockpit /
because Of Jogging of the unheated
panels.
The CAB has not yet made pub
lie the results of its investigation of
the crash of an American Overseas
DC-4 at Stephenville, New
foundland, on October 8, 1916, in
which 81 passengers and eight crew