Evening star., 1947-07-02
Lands Raises Issue
I0f CAA Instructions
In Virginia Air Crash
By W. n. Shipper. Jr.
Star Stuff corrsspendset

LEESBURG. Va. July 2.-Chair-
man James M. Lands Of the Civil
Aeronautics Board today raised the
question of whether the Civil Aero
nautics Authority traffic control au-
thorized a Capital Airlines pilot to
violate company minimum altitude
requirements Just before his four
engine transport rammed a Blue
Ridge range Is miles northwest OF
here one June l3, killing all So
on board. -
Mr.. Lands, who will attend in
quiries into three recent disastrous
ar crashes in the East, include those
at La Guardia Field and Port De.
post. Nd, stated here with refer.
ence to a message from the CAA
air trafic control giving the pilot
permission to change his flight plan
en- route from Cleveland to Wash.
ington that II cannot read that
clearance other than that the pilot
was permitted to fly under 5000
feet while trying to make visuaI
contact with the ground"
The point arose during question.
ing of the j. r. Wells of Alexandria
who testified he was In advisory
control of flight 40 after it left
Cleveland. Mr.. Wells said com.
pany minimums required at least
5000 feet altitude under instrument
conditions over the area between
Martinsburg, w. Va, and Herndon
Va.
Plan Called for 1000 Feet.
The witness declared that under the
flight plan an altitude of 1000 fee
should have been maintained or
instruments until after the plan.
passed over Martinsburg and tha
the pilot would normally have hae
to hold that altitude until author.
lied to descend by the air trafiit
control of CAA.
The dispatcher said he did no.
learn the pilot had been authorized
to change his flight plan until aftel
he was unable to make contact witt
the plane. 1t crashed on the west.
ern slope of the final high lane
obstruction on the approach tc
Washingtn at about s:l4 pm. DIST
Mr.. Wells explained the trafiis
control operator has a station neal
his and that sometimes 10 minute,
may elapse before he receives copies
of orders sent to aircraft under hi.
control. He said that in his opinion
an assistant should have reported
the order to him Immediately, but
that the matter of whether such
messages are shown him at once L
left to the discretion Of the as
sistant.
The reason the instrument ap.
proach to Washington had been or.
dered in the first place, he said, wa.
that an Army plane had been re-
ported missing and contact was es.
tablished with this plane aroune
the time the airliner crashed. Mr.
Wells said the commercial pilot
Capt. Horace Stark, could use hi
own Judgment on whether to accep
permission to lower altitude.
Experts OF the CAB safety boart
questioned j. H. Carmichael, opera.
tions manager OF Capital Airlines
on the experience, aptitude and his
tories of the pilot and copilot on tn,
transport which was wrecked with
out survivors or eye-witnesses. Mr.
Carmichael. q command pilot with
long airline experience. described
Capt. Stark as superior" in ever,
way.
Asked If the line had had an.
trouble with Capt. Stark in violating
regulations, Mr.. Carmichael repliet
emphatically, I'VE never had an.
trouble with him at all ."
Pilot Had $4,000 Flying Hours.
The witness said Capt. Stark, VIII,
was 4s, had acquired $4,000 hours o
flying experience, 900 OF them OF
instruments. He said the captain
was "happy in his work" and KEEP
himself in excellent physical condi
ton.
Among witnesses will be Is Capita
Airlines employees, II CAB and CAl
experts. 5 residents of nearby Charlie
Town, w. Va, and Winchester, Va.
a Weather Bureau technieian, al
engineer of the Douglas Aircraft Co
which manufactures the DC-4, anc
another from the Pratt ds Whitney
Engine Co. of Hartford, Conn.
The hearing probably will con-
tinue through tomorrow Afternoon
in the courthouse here.